The big black donkey didn’t walk far before reaching the shop’s entrance, where Yun Ziliang and Zhao Wuya dismounted with anger.
"Yazi, close the door, Xuanzi, hand my tools. Today, I must teach this ungrateful rascal a good lesson."
Yun Ziliang was so angry the hat on his head was pushed so high up, you’d think he had a big bump under it.
Zhou Xuan didn’t move, but Yun Ziliang had already grabbed a pair of tongs and was chasing Li Changxun to hit him.
"Ouch, Master, that’s enough. Besides, you all started criticizing first. I just got upset and went back on my own using Yu Feng."
"But you didn’t tire yourselves out, it was the Big Black Donkey. Riding on back and riding on the Big Black Donkey, what’s the difference?"
"Difference! Because of your delay, I missed seeing Xuanzi do alchemy. That was a great spectacle I missed, so who else should I hit if not you?"
Yun Ziliang had seen from afar a burst of golden light rising from East Market Street, but despite hurrying, he couldn’t make it in ti.
"Bang!"
"Ouch."
As Li Changxun spoke, he got hit on the head again with the tongs, and in this short ti—his so-called Heavenly Do level—he was already covered in bumps.
However, even though Li Changxun looked quite horrifying, in reality, his God-level physique didn’t mind being hit a few tis.
Zhou Xuan couldn’t help but find it amusing—with the violent ntorship at Dragon Seeking Hall, anyone with a perfectly round head couldn’t possibly be a Dragon Seeking Disciple.
The authentic Dragon Seeking Disciples get this kind of "tough love" every day, their heads ending up all sorts of odd shapes, like diamonds and squares...
"The world is vast, but the spectacle is the greatest. Missing it is as ungrateful as betraying your teachers and ancestors."
Yun Ziliang was still furious,
Zhao Wuya joined in, lanting, "Master Li, you’ve gone too far. I, too, have destroyed half a steel mill trying to do alchemy, only to produce junk,
I was hoping to see how Brother Xuan does it properly, and I missed it. Even if I weren’t your disciple, I’d still be outraged."
Zhao Wuya really wanted to sneak so hits in while Yun Ziliang reprimanded Li Changxun,
but within Dragon Seeking Hall, although the ntorship is fierce, it follows a hierarchy, and soone of Zhao Wuya’s generation dared not act recklessly.
This trio of master and disciples were such a codic act that even the painter and others couldn’t help but laugh.
After the hitting and scolding, Yun Ziliang dragged Li Changxun inside to write a letter of apology,
while the rest cheerfully continued chatting.
Their discussions mainly revolved around two topics: one being the various phenona during Zhou Xuan’s alchemy,
the other being about the appearance of the "elixir collector,"
The painter, fond of drawing and being sowhat romantic, speculated that the collector was like a delicate "Buddha Doll," a little cute and quite dignified.
"No, no, Old Hua, I think your guess isn’t right."
Guan Niang imdiately rejected the painter’s guess, saying, "I bet the elixir collector is a fish, a colorful one."
She cos from Yellow Field Prefecture, a city of wide rivers and lakes, deeply connected with "fish,"
even the Bitter Ghost’s master, Lu Xingzhou, has a giant fish head. Guan Niang guessed this mysterious elixir collector must be a big fish. How else?
Although her guess diverged, it was quite reasonable.
The Music Master guessed the collector was a blood-red doll,
everyone had their theories, and various amusing guesses sprouted.
Zhou Xuan smiled knowingly, thinking this was just like the Jing Country’s version of blind n touching an elephant.
In the end, they all began to argue about it, even getting a bit heated, and Guan Niang asked Zhou Xuan to diate, saying, "Sir, only you’ve seen the real face of the elixir collector. Tell us, what do they actually look like?"
"Have so tea, have so tea."
Zhou Xuan sat on a small stool by the door, holding an enal tea cup. When Guan Niang asked, he simply took a sip and responded politely without describing the collector’s appearance in detail.
It’s not that he was deliberately keeping it secret, but because the collector was ghastly and hideous in appearance, yet they had great significance.
In the realm of Jing Country, so things are better left unknown, rather than known—ignorance is bliss.
Thus, Zhou Xuan preferred not to speak much of it. It’s best not to drag too many people into certain muddy waters of unknown depth.
Seeing Zhou Xuan smile and remain silent, the crowd beca even more excited and continued their enthusiastic discussions.
No one gathered around Zhou Xuan, it was quite peaceful,
when Alchemist Bai Lu approached and said, "Sir, it’s wise not to speak of that person you saw."
"Old Bai Lu, have you ever offered a pill to Heaven and Earth?"
Zhou Xuan asked, looking up.
"I haven’t been that fortunate, in my long alchemy career, I’ve only offered pills to Heaven and Earth five tis."
Alchemist Bai Lu considered offering pills to Heaven and Earth a great honor and smiled broadly at the mory.
Zhou Xuan shook his head and said, "Old Bai Lu, when you told about the Qi Pill and Human Pill, I instinctively thought the Qi Pill was the righteous path, and the Human Pill was the crooked one."
"Isn’t that so?"
"It’s not. I think neither of these paths is a truly righteous one."
Zhou Xuan told Alchemist Bai Lu, "That elixir collector, too, is a false Bodhisattva, a hypocritical figure."
"Though they do tend to beautify themselves, in the end, they’re also figures under the seat of ’Heaven and Earth.’"
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