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Chapter 40: Acting Competition
In the middle of the night, Qing Luan came quietly to Zixuan Hall.
Zixuan Hall was an old study not far from Fuling Palace. The Medicine King Xianzun had abandoned it because it was too small. It had then been used to store sundries. After Yue Wuhuan took charge of the Medicine King’s Valley, he reorganized and repaired it, restoring its use as a small study. Here, he handled the affairs of the valley.
Yue Wuhuan was sitting at the desk, reading letters. Under the golden mask, there was a somewhat joyful smile at the corner of his lips.
However, after having misjudged many times before, Qing Luan no longer dared to use Yue Wuhuan’s facial expressions to guess what he was thinking. Behind his smile may be a cold killing intent and anger may be just a facade for scheming. He merely plays out the image he wishes to show you and the craziness that is occasionally revealed is real.
No one dared to face his madness.
Qing Luan nervously bowed in greeting. She then stood there obediently, waiting for her new orders.
The Blood King Vine twined around a small wooden box. Inside the small wooden box was a spirit bead that had never been used.
Qing Luan took the spirit bead. She knew that Yue Wuhuan didn’t need to rely on it to control people’s hearts. Keeping it had only been for her share of loyalty. Today’s Medicine King’s Valley had been woven into a spider web, guarding Fuling Palace and the treasures within it. He had already removed all danger. Everything was under his control and no secret could be hidden from his eyes.
Yue Wuhuan raised his head and saw that she was still standing there. He asked, voice low, “Is there anything else?”
Qing Luan thought for a while and answered carefully, “How should I handle An Xianzun? I ask Wuhuan Ge to instruct me clearly.”
She knew about the devious trick of changing the Poisonous Fog Formation. She also knew the source of An Long’s rage. It made her very uneasy.
Yue Wuhuan put down the letter in his hand, “Treat him as you would a distinguished guest.”
Qing Luan tactfully described her worry, “An Xianzun came charging in so menacingly. He doesn’t seem like he’ll be easy to deal with.”
Yue Wuhuan laughed, “Are you afraid that he will kill me?”
Qing Luan bowed her head, not daring to answer.
“Your thinking with regards to An Long is too simple,” Yue Wuhuan treated this loyal and capable subordinate with a little more patience. “The way of succession of the Myriad Gu Sect is like refining Gu. After the master’s death, his nine direct disciples will fight each other to the death; until only one last person remains who can obtain the inheritance of the Wu Gu god. Of his martial brothers, he was the last one to enter the sect and yet he managed to kill all his eight fellow apprentice brothers. After obtaining the inheritance, he bathed the Myriad Gu Sect in blood, wiping out all the voices of dissent. Afterwards, he, bit by bit, grasped the entire Western Forest in his hands.”
Qing Luan shuddered at hearing this. She couldn’t accept this kind of brutality between fellow disciples.
“So, people like him won’t let their emotions affect their decisions,” Yue Wuhuan analyzed. “If he, after he had broken into the Medicine King’s Valley, had killed the people in it, especially me who is Master’s senior disciple, it would have meant trampling on the dignity of the Medicine King’s Valley. Master would not be able to let the matter go. His body had been heavily poisoned at the time. He was an arrow at the end of his flight. Given that kind of situation, what use would there have been provoking Master’s anger by insisting on taking me down with him?”
Qing Luan muttered to herself, “However, Master has removed his poison…”
She wasn’t a stupid person and she suddenly understood. Since, An Long hadn’t done anything even when he had charged in in a fury, now that his anger has calmed down, he was even less likely to do anything.
“Can’t he kill me whenever he wants to?” Yue Wuhuan shook his head and smiled coldly. “In the immortal realm, the strong are as numerous as the clouds. What need is there to personally kill someone? Wouldn’t it be better to hire someone to kill me? Better to give the impression of weakness now, pretend to behave, get Master’s wariness towards him to subside, get the poison undone. Once he leaves, then he’ll set about in secret; maybe employ assassins. If I were him, I would definitely do this…”
Afterwards, he can even get rid of the killer and use the killer’s head to please Master.
It would be killing two birds with one stone. Why not do it?
Just as when the Master woke up, he too gave up the devices and formations to deal with the incoming An Long. He aborted the poison puppets lying in ambush. There was no need to upset the Master over these trivial matters and destroy the good mood of their reunion.
Yue Wuhuan shook his head regretfully. “An Long is a clever man…”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Pity……
Before Qing Luan left, she hesitantly asked, “Wuhuan Ge, are you not afraid of danger?”
“I’m afraid, deathly afraid.” Yue Wuhuan remembered this funny thing, and couldn’t help but laugh. The deep laughter in the quiet darkness carried with it restrained madness, “If I encounter danger, Master will certainly be very worried. He still stick closely by side to protect me day and night.”
Such a life was truly one that people couldn’t help but look forward to.
Qing Luan looked at his smile and couldn’t help shivering.
…
In Fuling Palace, Song Qingshi tossed and turned. All night, he moaned and groaned but he just couldn’t solve this difficult life-and-death problem.
He could not naively hope the two to let bygones be bygones and become friends.  He merely hoped that the two would not insist on fighting to the death.
Despite that, it was still very difficult…
An Long was the type to seek revenge for just an angry look. There was no way he would have mercy on anyone. He would often agree overtly but oppose in secret. In case, he agrees with him for the moment and then later on, kills Yue Wuhuan, first decapitate then present your trophy, even if he slaughters this Alaskan Malamute, it would all still be too late. Yue Wuhuan was a little angel who was willing to endure anything for him. He was inexplicably made to suffer the Heart Eater Gu.  He must certainly also be holding back fury in his heart; otherwise, he would not have taken out the Bone Intoxication poison in retaliation.
He can’t just always be made to suffer a grievance and expected to obey and behave, right? It can’t be the he can’t even hit back when he’s been hit or answer back when he’s scolded, right?
The master was responsible for his disciple’s mistakes. Not to mention that his disciple wasn’t even wrong and thus couldn’t admit to any fault.
He should just simply let An Long beat him up to vent his anger…
He was a Nascent Soul cultivator. In any case, he could definitely bear a beating more than Yue Wuhuan.
Song Qingshi thought for a long time and felt that there was no way this unreliable plan would succeed. He wondered whether he had anything good to move An Long and get him to give up on his hatred. However, the Myriad Gu Sect was much richer than the Medicine King’s Valley. Except for medicinal pills, he had nothing else that was presentable…
The next day, he struggled to get out of bed and found that the Yue Wuhuan hadn’t come. He simply did a quick washing up with the assistance of the Blood King Vine and then decided to go to An Long and lay his cards on the table. He’ll go see what price he needs to pay to get An Long to completely let this matter rest. If that doesn’t work, then he’ll have to prepare their defenses.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he walked to the garden, he saw An Long and Yue Wuhuan sitting in the pavilion playing Go. The two were talking and laughing and the atmosphere between them was very good.
Song Qingshi rubbed his eyes, feeling life was like a dream.
Yue Wuhuan glanced at his messy hair and nodded in greeting. He smiled. “This morning I should have gone to wait upon Master first, but An Xianzun pulled me in to play Go.”
“You pulled me in first, alright?” It was An Long who was staring intently at the Go board. After thinking for a long time, he finally set down a piece, “It’s your turn.”
Song Qingshi walked over suspiciously and looked at the Go board. An Long held
the black pieces and Yue Wuhuan held the white ones. He wasn’t any good at Go. The only thing he could see were twin dragons strangled together. The black dragon slightly had the upper hand.
An Long asked delightedly, “It’s boring to play for nothing. Should we put in a little bet?”
Yue Wuhuan set down a piece and asked with a smile, “What does An Xianzun want to bet?”
“No gambling in the Medicine King’s Valley!” Every time Song Qingshi played Go with An Long, An Long would slaughter him within an inch of his life. Knowing his prowess in Go, he rushed to answer for fear that the little angel would be made to suffer a losses due to An Long’s luck in matches. “Whoever loses gets slips of paper stuck on their head!”
He had seen his senior brother do it this way when playing cards!
Both of them looked at him blankly…
Song Qingshi unyieldingly rapped the gavel. “This is my house! I have the final say!”
He sat between the two of them, lying on the stone table. He didn’t like watching Go matches. He absently watched them taking turns placing down the white and black pieces. His mind was filled with thoughts of whether An Long was planning on lying and deceiving him again or whether Yue Wuhuan, afraid that he would worry, was hiding something.
The situation of the Go match suddenly took a turn.
The black dragon was led into a trap and was about to be strangled by the white dragon.
An Long looked at his method of arranging traps. This was just like in the Poisonous Fog Formation, every step seemed harmless and only when he thought he had the advantage, did the hidden killing move bare its fangs. An indescribable anger broke out in his heart. The more An Long thought about it, the angrier he became. The look in his eyes turned fiercer and fiercer.
Yue Wuhuan noticed the murderous intent and smiled at him.
Song Qingshi looked vigilantly at An Long and warned, “Refusing to acknowledge one’s loss is not allowed!”
“Your disciple is bullying me,” An Long rolled his eyes. He pulled him over and placed him beside him. He then said cheerfully, “We brothers must enjoy blessings and endure misfortune together. Since you were the one who proposed it, if I lose the paper will be stuck on your forehead!”
Song Qingshi had been planning to coax him into having a good time and so he readily agreed.
Yue Wuhuan was stunned and the Go piece in his hand turned towards a different direction.
The two of them had been at it for more than half an hour. The match went into a bitter struggle. In the end, the black dragon narrowly defeated the white dragon…
Song Qingshi was as good as one’s word. He took the small red strip of paper and walked towards Yue Wuhuan. “Where would you like me to stick it?”
Yue Wuhuan laughed and said, “I will be happy no matter where Master sticks it.”
“Okay,” Song Qingshi thought for a while. He didn’t want to put it on the mask, so he decided to put a cat’s whisker on him, “I’ll paste it properly so it looks a bit better.”
He leaned in closer to Wuhuan’s face, trying to find the best position.
Yue Wuhuan kept moving this way and that. He laughed and said, “Master, it tickles.”
Song Qingshi’s pasted it on crooked and it didn’t look pleasing to the eyes. And so he quickly tore it off and stuck it on once again. “Don’t move around.”
An Long looked at the shameless evildoer on the left and the brainless fool on the right. As he listened to this exchange that sounded somewhat like flirtatious banter, he grew so angry that he could eat the Go pieces! Song Qingshi had never been in a relationship with anyone and was clueless about romantic matters! He never thought that he could still play like this! This was a huge loss!
Song Qingshi stuck on the piece of paper and voiced out his doubts, “What’s with you two?”
An Long instantly withdrew his anger and said cheerfully, “We’re the type to not make friends unless we fight. We decided to call it even between the Heart Eater Gu and the Blood Intoxication Poison.”
Yue Wuhuan bowed in salute once again. “Wuhuan greatly admires An Xianzun’s magnanimity.”
“Forget it. I don’t blame you,” An Long waved his hand and said graciously, “You were trying to save Qingshi. It was I who let my imagination run wild. I was rash.”
Yue Wuhuan smiled and said, “An Xianzun was also saving my Master. If Wuhuan had known your intentions, I would have thrown open the doors of the Medicine King’s Valley to welcome you.”
An Long praised, “It’s amazing that you are so skilled at scheming at such a young age.”
Yue Wuhuan boasted, “It was An Xianzun who let me off easy, allowing me to escape with my life by a fluke.”
The two smoothly performed their exchange, laughing endlessly, as though they felt like old friends at first meeting.
Song Qingshi, standing to the side, suddenly became the outsider to their exchange…
He became more aware of his lack of knowledge when it came to emotions and relationships. He decided that he was in need of remedial lessons.
Whenever Song Qing encountered things he didn’t understand, he would look for the answer in books. However, subjects such as interpersonal relations, psychology or making friends didn’t exist in the immortal realm and the Medicine King’s Valley didn’t have any books related to these matters.
After pondering for a long time, he suddenly remembered that in this world, depictions of emotions between people was most often found in novels. Perhaps he could use them as a reference.
So, he wrote to Ye Lin and attached a high-grade spirit stone to the letter, asking him to find some books about men’s camaraderie for him. He must ensure that it was close to life, the kind with sincere feelings.
Ye Lin was quick handle paid orders. He immediately took the books by his own bedside and sent it to Song Qingshi, boasting that it was the best-selling novel in recent times. The depiction of brotherhood in it was written marvelously. It could even be described as ‘knives piercing both sides‘, ‘supremely honorable and righteous’, ‘to offer one’s life in sacrifice’. People who read it simply couldn’t put it down. They just couldn’t tear themselves away.
Song Qingshi, as though he had found priceless treasure, picked up the copy of “The Three Tiger-Fighting Brothers” that was sent with the letter.
He was extremely satisfied with Ye Lin’s ability to handle matters.
The author has something to say:
The acting level of the three:
Yue Wuhuan: Oscar-winning Film Emperor
An Long: Domestic Film Emperor
Song Qingshi: I once played a tree in our kindergarten stage play!