Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 70: Almost Used To It
Lü Fusheng was already quite unhappy.

He could only watch helplessly as Chen Ye left with the disciples of the Burning Incense Sect.

Although Chen Ye took the initiative to sever ties, Lü Fusheng still felt uneasy.

After discussing it, the three of them decided that since they couldn't help, they should put the matter aside for the time being and focus on their cultivation to temporarily forget their troubles.

The three of them were probably not happy, so they scrubbed extra hard during this "body scrubbing" of the Gang Sha body tempering. Poor Chang Shou was scrubbed until he screamed, like a pig waiting to be slaughtered.

Who would have thought that someone would disturb them so soon after they started?

Lu Fusheng thought something had happened and hurriedly came out to check, but what he saw almost made him think he was under an illusion.

Chen Ye is back, and it's a good thing he's back unharmed, but why is his hand on someone else's shoulder?

It's one thing to put your arm around someone's shoulder, but why put your arm around someone from the Incense Burning Sect and a female cultivator?
They were so adamant about having a grudge against the Incense Burning Sect before, how come they've become so close in the blink of an eye?
The world is changing too fast, and Lü Fusheng feels that he is too old to keep up.

Chen Ye and Mo Suixin noticed the strange look Lu Fusheng was giving them, and both of them felt embarrassed, their faces flushing slightly.

But the situation was urgent, and it was not the time to sit down and explain slowly. So Chen Ye said directly, "I will explain the reasons to Brother Lü later. The reason I returned is just to ask if Brother Lü has any wine."

"liquor?"

These two returned arm in arm, not mentioning a word about what happened before, and now they're actually asking for drinks. What are they up to?
“That’s right, any kind of wine will do, please lend me a jar, Brother Lü,” Chen Ye added anxiously.

Seeing the extremely awkward expressions on Chen Ye and Mo Suixin's faces, Lü Fusheng knew that asking any more questions at this moment would be pointless.

He had no choice but to suppress his doubts and tell the truth: "I have never been interested in wine, and I don't drink much myself. If you want to find wine, I'm afraid you'll have to go to Qingyunfang."

"Qingyunfang?"

Chen Ye and Mo Suixin repeated almost simultaneously that neither of them had ever heard of the name.

Lu Fusheng nodded and patiently explained, "That's the closest market town to here. In this Hundred Seas Valley, besides many independent cultivators, there are also a few mortals living there. They have established markets in various places, mainly to provide various services for cultivators. Although it's not a gathering day now, the taverns in Qingyun Market should still be open according to custom."

Mo Suixin became even more nervous upon hearing that she was to go to a tavern with Chen Ye.

If outsiders were to see this, wouldn't it lead to a lot of rumors and gossip?

Mo Suixin quickly said, "Could you please ask Fellow Daoist Lü to help me buy a jar of wine?"

Lu Fusheng replied, "I'm sorry, I'm currently protecting a friend and cannot leave at the moment. Cultivating the Gang Sha Body Refinement is not easy, and I believe the fellow Daoists of the Burning Incense Sect understand that. Giving up now would mean all our previous efforts would be in vain."

As soon as he finished speaking, the screams from inside the cave grew louder, indicating that the crucial moment had arrived.

Chen Ye also felt it was inappropriate to take Mo Suixin to a tavern, so he asked again, "Shall we wait here? How long will it take?"

Lu Fusheng replied, "One body-refining session requires at least four hours."

Mo Suixin frowned and said, "Even if it's too late."

It was already late when Chen Ye left home. It took him quite a while to shake off Mo Suixin, and then he spent several more hours drinking tea and chatting with Fu Lu Shou and the other two.

It's almost dusk now, and four hours have passed midnight; it's already the next day.

According to Mo Suixin's third divination, Chen Ye will die a violent death today.

If I can't drink with Mo Suixin before midnight, it might really be the end of me.

Lu Fusheng pointed out the way to the two men, cupped his hands in greeting, and instructed Chen Ye, "Brother Chen, you must come here again for a cup of tea someday."

This means you have to give me an explanation.

Chen Ye gave an awkward smile and said "definitely" several times.

Although Lü Fusheng was still puzzled, he turned around and went back into the cave. No matter how curious he was, he couldn't let Changshou's body tempering go wrong; the important matter was more important. Chen Ye and Mo Suixin were left in the flower garden again, still with their arms around each other's shoulders as before. The two had unconsciously gotten used to their current posture.

Mo Suixin looked up at Chen Ye and asked softly, "So, are we really going to Qingyunfang?"

His words were full of hesitation.

Chen Ye gritted his teeth and said, "Go then. Nothing matters more than life and death. It's just a drink."

Mo Suixin said with difficulty, "But if someone sees us, won't rumors start to spread?"

Cultivators are more carefree than ordinary people and don't need to care too much about formalities, but since they are disciples of the Incense Burning Sect, they have more to consider than independent cultivators.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Ye felt that Mo Suixin's words made sense, so he suggested, "Why don't we both wear masks when we go out? Wearing a face mask can at least cover our faces, right?"

Mo Suixin shook her head slightly and said helplessly, "My attire as a disciple of the Incense Burning Sect is too conspicuous. Even if I cover my face, I'm afraid it will be difficult to conceal my identity."

"Then change your clothes. You don't only have this one long dress, do you?" Chen Ye asked.

"Of course, I have more than one set, but all my clothes are in the style of the Incense Burning Sect, so changing them wouldn't make much of a difference."

Chen Ye had a sudden inspiration and said, "Then you can wear my clothes!"

After saying that, he reached into his storage bag and pulled out a long robe. He usually prepared a lot of daily necessities, and naturally, he had quite a few of these kinds of clothes.

Chen Ye was considerably taller than Mo Suixin, and the long robe was a bit too big for her, but she couldn't care less about that now.

Chen Ye gently draped the simple long gown over Mo Suixin's shoulders, then put a handkerchief over her head, wrapping her up completely.

Mo Suixin breathed a sigh of relief; dressed like this, she would not be recognized by anyone who was not familiar with her.

Moreover, although the long robe appeared old, it exuded a fresh and pleasant scent. It was as if it had been sun-dried until translucent and had been carefully stored away. I didn't expect Chen Ye to be so particular; he was even more particular than his fellow disciples in the Incense Burning Sect.

Just as she was feeling relieved, Mo Suixin suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, "Why didn't you think of this earlier? If I had changed my clothes earlier, I wouldn't have been so embarrassed."

Chen Ye said awkwardly, "I was in a hurry just now and didn't think of that. I'm really sorry."

Mo Suixin sighed, "Alas, I can't blame you. I didn't expect this myself. It's too late to say anything now. Let's go to Qingyunfang and settle this matter."

Seeing Mo Suixin's appearance, Chen Ye felt embarrassed to continue hugging her.

Just as he was about to lead the way, Mo Suixin unexpectedly said, "If you should hug me, then hug me. If I die because I didn't do these details well enough, wouldn't I have suffered for nothing?"

Chen Ye thought about it and realized that it made sense.

Since the girl was so open and honest, he felt no shame. He swept her into his arms, and the two headed towards Qingyunfang.

Having likely experienced walking side-by-side before, the two surprisingly moved in sync this time.

The distance to Qingyunfang was neither far nor near; the two hurried along and arrived in no time.

As dusk fell, Qingyunfang disappeared beneath the gray-blue sky.

The low wooden houses are scattered along the winding dirt road, like dice casually tossed down by an immortal, and each house is about the same size.

The bluestone path, about two zhang wide, was dotted with a few scattered shops. The lanterns had just lit up, casting a dim, yellowish glow that shimmered in the night. Occasionally, someone would hurry by, their footsteps startling a dozing cat.

What a peaceful and pleasant place.

The tavern is not far away. Once we get there, the two of us can drink a pot of wine and our troubles will be over.

As long as you don't get recognized, all this hard work won't be in vain.

(End of this chapter)