"How did you collect all this?" Feng Qishi pointed at the magical artifacts.
Piao said, "As long as you consider me a brother, I'll give you whatever you like."
Immortals and demons calling each other brothers. Feng Qishi thought if he really agreed, his master would surely make him suffer if the news reached him. Thus, to avoid offending his master, he withdrew his hand and said, "Impossible."
"Why?"
"Because I am an immortal, and you are a demon. It's good for you to call me brother, but bad for me."
"Why is it good for me?" Piao asked with interest.
Feng Qishi said, "You are a demon; you can make friends freely, and no one dares to interfere. But I'm different. I haven't officially taken up an immortal post. If there's a genuine connection between us, it won't do me any good in the future. Although, you are quite attentive to me."
"You..."
"Moreover, as far as I know, you were once an immortal and should be very clear about immortal matters. You are so good to me now," Feng Qishi took half a step back, "I think there's a problem."
From the moment Feng Qishi entered this room, saw these magical artifacts, and heard Piao's words, he believed that Piao's flattery was not solely because they resembled each other, but for other reasons.
That reason was definitely related to the rattan spirit.
Piao: "....."
"I guessed it right," Feng Qishi said.
Piao smiled, "Brother Shen, you really think a lot. I'm only good to you because you resemble me. In other words," his eyes deepened, "I think you look exactly like someone I know, but I can't recall who it is."
"What do you mean?" Feng Qishi lowered his guard and asked.
Piao thought for a moment and said, "My heart has been empty for ten years. I don't know why, but after meeting you, my heart has gradually begun to fill up. That feeling of emptiness seems to be gradually being filled."
Feng Qishi: "....."
Seeing Feng Qishi’s silence, Piao added, "I genuinely want to be brothers with you."
"Do you have a younger brother?" Feng Qishi asked.
Piao lowered his head, "I don't know. I probably do."
"...." Feng Qishi was momentarily speechless and said, "I am an immortal; I'm afraid I can't help you with this."
The instant Feng Qishi said this, Piao suddenly felt that all his efforts for the day were in vain. Looking into Feng Qishi's eyes, he said, "Can we be friends?"
"Frie..." Feng Qishi hesitated.
At that moment, Mu Anxiao crossed the threshold and entered the room, saying, "Shen Fengzi, I'm dying." She walked up to Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi simply avoided the answer and looked at Mu Anxiao's palm, asking, "Where are you dying?"
"Look, what is this?" Mu Anxiao held her hand in front of Feng Qishi's face.
Feng Qishi stared at the six blue lines and said, "Silly girl, this is your sixth layer of spiritual energy."
Earlier, Zhang Yan had told Mu Anxiao that cultivating the sixth layer of spiritual energy was very troublesome. Given Mu Anxiao's qualifications, it would take at least many years.
Hearing Feng Qishi say this, she didn't believe it.
"How is that possible?" Her lips twitched.
"The sixth layer of spiritual energy requires demonic essence. As long as you can break through the demonic essence, you can cultivate to the sixth layer," Feng Qishi explained.
Mu Anxiao pursed her lips and said, "Then this is too easy."
"Easy," Piao interrupted, looking at Mu Anxiao with a cold smile, "I wonder who was just rolling on the ground in pain. Can you stop pretending?"
Piao was right; Mu Anxiao was indeed pretending. Usually, after an incident, she liked to act as if nothing had happened. Even if she was still in pain, she wouldn't show it.
So, the moment Piao said this, she became embarrassed.
"....."
Feng Qishi asked, "Are you really faking it?"
Mu Anxiao still didn't want to reveal her pain and deliberately changed the subject, "Shen Fengzi, calling you Fengzi, you treat me like this. I said why you were so good, giving me candied hawthorn when we came. After half a day, you wanted me to taste the sweet first, then the bitter. You are ruthless." She pointed at Feng Qishi.
As Mu Anxiao spoke, Feng Qishi clearly noticed she was enduring something. However, with Piao present, he couldn't expose Mu Anxiao directly. He said, "Alright, it's time for us to go back."
"You haven't answered my question," Piao said urgently.
Originally, Feng Qishi thought he had gotten away with it, but he didn't expect Piao to still remember what he had said.
At this moment, he felt embarrassed.
"What are you asking him to answer?" Mu Anxiao asked curiously.
Piao looked down at Mu Anxiao and said, "Mind your own business."
"No, honestly, I find you really strange towards him."
From the pastry shop, Mu Anxiao had been wondering about Piao's feelings towards Feng Qishi.
Although he said he simply liked Feng Qishi, Mu Anxiao didn't believe it. She always felt that Piao had some... indescribable affection for Feng Qishi.
"How am I strange?" Piao asked.
Mu Anxiao glanced at Feng Qishi and said, "I suspect you really like him, but I want to say that it's useless even if you like him. He is an immortal, and you are a demon. Moreover, he must marry a woman. If he marries you," she shook her head slightly, "his master will definitely break his legs, as it would be a disgrace to the sect."
Piao's face turned cold, "Mu Anxiao, what are you thinking?"
Mu Anxiao blinked her eyes and said, "Piao, I've felt something was off about you for a long time. You clearly know I'm a woman, but you didn't take care of me when I was begging. That's one thing, but you always say I'm deceiving gentlemen. Your sense of justice is really strange."
After a year, Mu Anxiao was driven away by Piao wherever she went, and thus, Mu Anxiao began to observe him.
Finally, Mu Anxiao discovered that Piao's attitude towards men was always better than towards women. Now, seeing him act like this towards Feng Qishi, it was hard for Mu Anxiao not to be suspicious.
If Mu Anxiao hadn't said this, Feng Qishi wouldn't have noticed. Now, hearing her say it, he reconsidered Piao's attitude towards him. Then, looking at those magical artifacts, he suddenly felt that Mu Anxiao's words... seemed to have some truth to them.
Similarly, before Mu Anxiao said this, Piao didn't think much of himself. After hearing her say it, he looked at Feng Qishi again and suddenly felt that... he might indeed have been a bit excessive.
Immediately, Piao asked, "You think I have a penchant for men?"
Mu Anxiao gave a dry laugh, "A little."
"Have..." Piao uttered the word and looked at Feng Qishi, "Indeed, ever since I met Fellow Immortal, I've felt a motivation. I don't know why, but I just want to see him."
Hearing Piao's straightforward words, Feng Qishi quickly stepped back and hid behind Mu Anxiao, saying, "Now that you say that, I don't want to see you anymore."