Chapter 1649 - 300_2

As they planted, a peach blossom drifted inside.

"Alii, I'm going in for a moment."

Alii nodded, continuing to focus on the seedlings in front of her.

Li Zhiyuan put down the shovel, reached out to catch two petals, and rubbed them together, the moisture in the petals was unusually abundant, equivalent to washing his hands.

Then, the young man walked into the peach forest.

There were no obstacles, the path was smooth, and soon, Li Zhiyuan heard that soul-wrenching scream.

The body was exhausted, the voice as slight as a mosquito, but the wailing from the soul whipped him, growing ever clearer.

He came to the edge of a small pond and saw Zhao Yi, who had been hung there and beaten beyond recognition.

Mr. Zhao surely didn't expect such a warm reception on his first day back in Nantong.

Qing'an was painting, and Li Zhiyuan stood beside him.

It was a landscape painting, in an impressionistic style; before it was finished, it appeared chaotic.

The whip continued to lash, while Li Zhiyuan focused on watching the painting, as if he were learning techniques.

After a while, it was Qing'an who spoke first:

"He is very arrogant."

Li Zhiyuan: "He shouldn't be that stupid. Could it be that that face took over his body and then was drawn here by this peach forest?"

The young man trusted Zhao Yi's intelligence. Even if he unknowingly came happily to visit Old Tian, once he reached Big Beard's house, he would surely realize it was not the right time to enter.

"Are you here to plead for him?"

"It's you who let me in. Besides, if he hadn't healed an elder sister for me today, and my grandparents wanted to invite him to our home for dinner, I wouldn't care where he went today."

"Still pleading."

Qing'an put down the brush and tapped his fingertips on the empty jar beside him.

Outside, in the yard, Xiao Yingying placed the two newly bought jars of wine on the altar and lit incense candles.

The jar beside Qing'an slowly filled with wine.

He lifted the jar and took several large gulps.

Men like them enjoyed the feeling of drinking and spilling wine at the same time.

"If you're only here to plead for me to let him go, I'll hang you up and whip you together."

The wine was full, and it needed good appetizers.

Li Zhiyuan said: "Wei Zhengdao never thought highly of the Buddhist Sect."

Qing'an nodded: "That's right, he thought Sun Baishen was a fool."

Li Zhiyuan: "The Bodhisattva this time was dragged down to the underworld and suppressed."

Qing'an: "Hehe."

Silence.

Qing'an patted the rim of the jar: "This time, just dismiss it like this?"

Li Zhiyuan: "Mm."

Overhead, the peach branches swayed, as if about to droop down and bind the young man to enjoy the same treatment as Zhao Yi.

Qing'an: "I really will take action."

Li Zhiyuan: "I know."

Hanging up someone who looks a lot like Wei Zhengdao for a whipping would be a joyful thing for Qing'an.

The peach branches wrapped around the young man's wrists and ankles, with one already slowly inching up his neck.

Qing'an: "So, this time, truly nothing gained?"

Li Zhiyuan: "There is."

Qing'an: "Then speak."

Li Zhiyuan: "I don't want to say it; I'm waiting to barter it with you."

Qing'an: "Do you think this guy isn't worth trading for a good appetizer?"

Li Zhiyuan: "It's not a matter of worth; it's not necessary — I've already seen it."

Qing'an: "You are progressing quickly."

Li Zhiyuan: "Thank you."

Qing'an: "But you're clearly unaffected by the Black Skin Book Secret Technique, so why take the trouble to study its 'poison'?"

Li Zhiyuan: "Even if I did nothing before, I wouldn't have been affected by this secret technique, but now I am. However, I've found a way to solve its 'poison'."

Qing'an: "Oh?"

Li Zhiyuan: "This has always been my pursuit - to be completely unaffected by it is not what I prefer. Now being affected by it is instead a form of self-affirmation. I think, when Wei Zhengdao first created this secret technique, his initial thought was the same as mine, believing it was tailor-made for himself. Later on, he probably also realized that from a certain perspective, this skill was actually a mockery of people like us. Perhaps, in seeking suicide, he once longed to be poisoned to death by the 'poison' of this skill, even though the process would be worse than death."

"Are you saying Wei Zhengdao once envied my current ghostly appearance?"

"Back then, I also envied my companions. What I needed to perform was their daily sincere expression."

Qing'an lifted the wine jar.

Li Zhiyuan continued: "Perhaps this is also why I chose them as my companions, to face the storms together."

"Ha, hehe, hahahaha!"

"Splash, splash, splash..."

A whole jar of wine, just like that, wasted on a single drink.

With a "thud," the wine jar was placed down.

Qing'an flicked his wine-soaked sleeve, sweeping towards the painting before him.

Saturated by the wine's aroma, the once chaotic painting thoroughly bloomed, with a profound and vast realm.

Qing'an: "You said you still have a fine appetizer hidden?"

Li Zhiyuan: "Yes."

Qing'an: "Yet I just drank to my heart's content. You're really like him—no matter if it's just a few words made up temporarily, it can make me happily pleased.

In the eyes of people like you, is someone like me easily manipulated and worthless?"

Li Zhiyuan: "Who would purposely try to amuse someone who is worthless?"

Hearing this, Qing'an lowered his head, letting out a sigh of melancholy.

After a long while, he raised his hand.

Zhao Yi was no longer being whipped, and peach branches wrapped him, lifting him behind Qing'an.

With a "splat," Zhao Yi knelt down, his bloodstained face pressed against Qing'an's palm.