After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

Lin Zhixu: "..."

Wen Wuqing: "...?"

Are they all that familiar with each other? The more I listen, the more something seems off.

Anyone who didn't know better would think Lin Zhixu was a man who abandoned his wife...

Wen Wuqing glanced at the burly man who was at least 1.9 meters tall and silently changed the words in his mind.

Anyone who didn't know better would think Lin Zhixu was a heartless man who abandoned his husband.

Lin Zhixu took a deep breath, reached out and grabbed Li Erniu by the back of the neck, pulling him off him.

Their eyes met, and he asked, "What exactly do you want?"

Li Erniu blinked his impossibly beautiful eyes, squeezed out a single tear, and said pitifully, "I want to follow you."

Lin Zhixu let go of her hand expressionlessly and walked out without looking back.

"no."

Li Erniu immediately followed, ignoring the other people around him, sat down on the threshold, grabbed Lin Zhixu's leg, hung on him, and started howling at the top of his lungs.

"You can't leave! What will I do if you leave! I'm just a weak hunter, penniless, and can't even afford a hot meal! You saved me, so you have to take responsibility to the end; you can't give up halfway!"

Lin Zhixu paused, pulled by him, and looked down at the large pendant hanging on her leg, laughing in exasperation: "You think you're weak?"

How do your biceps look?

Li Erniu looked up at him confidently and said, "Yeah!"

Lin Zhixu tried to move his legs to shake him off, but Li Erniu held on even tighter.

She wrapped herself around him like an octopus, accusing him of abandoning her after using her and then discarding her like a used tool.

Several constables stood far away under the eaves, whispering among themselves. Their eyes, as they looked at Lin Zhixu, were filled with a complex expression that seemed to say, "How could someone who looks so respectable do such a thing?"

The magistrate, his face dark, chased away the yamen runners: "Go away! What are you looking at? Have you finished your work?"

Wen Wuqing stood beside the two, unsure whether to stay or leave, his face filled with embarrassment.

He coughed lightly and stepped forward to smooth things over, tentatively saying, "How about... Brother Li comes along first? Fellow Daoist Lin and I are heading in the same direction, so we can look out for each other on the way. If Brother Li wants to find a place to stay later, we can also lend a hand."

Li Erniu immediately stopped crying and turned to look at Wen Wuqing.

To be honest, he didn't really like this pretty boy.

From the very first meeting, he wore an eyesore of white, pretending to be respectable, and was extremely attentive to Lin Zhixu the whole way. No matter how you looked at him, he was an eyesore.

However, he was currently being publicly scorned by Lin Zhixu and needed a way to save face, so Wen Wuqing's suggestion came at just the right time.

He released Lin Zhixu's leg, got up from the ground, dusted off his robes, looked Wen Wuqing up and down, and reluctantly nodded: "Alright, since you're so sincere."

Lin Zhixu: "..."

"..." Wen Wuqing's cheerful smile could no longer be maintained.

Why don't you stop being so pretentious, you bastard? You actually forced yourself to go on!

He's a jerk, it's pointless to bother with him!

This guy immediately set his sights on the best-looking one, and he didn't look like a decent person at all.

Wen Wuqing's eyes darkened. Even he hadn't... How dare a lowly mortal like him be worthy!

And so, the three of them, each with their own ulterior motives, formed another team.

As I left the government office, the morning light was just beginning to shine, and the breakfast stalls along the street had already been set up, with steam rising from the steamers mixed with the aroma of scallion pancakes.

Li Erniu tugged at Lin Zhixu's sleeve with a self-righteous air and pointed to the wonton stall not far away: "I'm hungry, buy me some."

Lin Zhixu didn't stop walking, leaving behind the question: "Didn't you say you eat little?"

Li Erniu retorted confidently, "Eating less doesn't mean not eating at all. I've been starving for a whole day and night."

Seeing this, Wen Wuqing took out a few copper coins from his sleeve and handed them over with a smile: "Let me pay. It's just a bowl of wontons, Brother Li, no need to be so polite."

Li Erniu didn't even glance at him, his eyes still fixed on Lin Zhixu.

Wen Wuqing's hand froze in mid-air, and the smile on his face faded slightly.

He took back the coins, forced a smile, and casually tucked his hands back into his sleeves.

Lin Zhixu and Li Erniu stared at each other for a moment, but Lin Zhixu eventually gave in and pulled out a few copper coins from his waist.

Li Erniu was finally satisfied. He took the copper coin, went to the wonton stall, and found a seat.

"Boss, one order of shrimp wontons, please."

The boss readily replied, "Okay! Just a moment, it'll be ready soon!"

Lin Zhixu thought of that delicious bowl of wontons and felt a little hungry. Since he couldn't leave now, he sat down and added, "Another bowl, please."

He turned to look at Wen Wuqing and casually asked, "Would you like a bowl too?"

Wen Wuqing shook his head slightly, his tone gentle yet tinged with arrogance: "No need. I have already abstained from grains. The grains and cereals of the mortal world will disturb my pure energy, which is detrimental to my cultivation."

Lin Zhixu didn't force him.

Li Erniu rolled his eyes.

What's with the pretense of high and mighty attitude? The disdain and contempt in this pretty boy's eyes were practically overflowing when he said that. Does he really think no one can see it?

Lin Zhixu gave him a light kick under the table.

The two were merely casual acquaintances who met by chance, and there was no need to delve into their personalities.

Li Erniu was kicked, pursed his lips, and lowered his head to focus on the bowl of wontons that had just been served to him.

After finishing their meal, the three of them were finally able to set off.

Lin Zhixu was heading south, and Wen Wuqing was going the same way. Although their destinations were different, at least their travel directions were the same.

Once outside the town, the official road is flanked by rolling farmland, with distant mountains looming overhead.

Wen Wuqing took the initiative to speak, saying, "Today's matter is of utmost importance. I must first return to the Wen family to report to the patriarch and have the family elders inform him about the evil cultivators so that he can make a decision."

Lin Zhixu nodded.

He also took the opportunity to send a message back to his sect.

The evil cultivator we eliminated yesterday was just a small fry; the person behind him is not to be underestimated.

He was self-aware enough to think that the sect should send someone to investigate the formation again.

……

The three of them headed south.

We passed through some towns along the way and encountered some difficult and complicated cases.

However, the three of them worked together and quickly solved the problem.

They traveled and stopped frequently, and soon arrived at the Nanling area.

Nanling City truly lives up to its reputation as one of the top cities in the south; even its city gates are seven or eight zhang high.

Layer upon layer of blue bricks and gray tiles, and every few steps on the city wall hangs a lantern with a shimmering light; even the armor worn by the guards at the gate is brighter than elsewhere.

Once inside the city, the shops lining the streets began to feature items unique to the cultivation world.

The pedestrians' clothes were mostly made of silk and satin, and it was rare to see patched coarse cloth clothes.

Wen Wuqing walked at the front, proudly introducing the local customs and culture of Nanling to the two of them.

As they approached the Wen family mansion, he stopped, turned around, cupped his hands in greeting to Lin Zhixu, and said earnestly, "Fellow Daoist Lin, why don't you come in and rest for a while? You've been traveling and working hard these past few days, so this is a good opportunity for me to show you some hospitality."

Lin Zhixu shook his head. "I appreciate your kindness, but there's no need. I'm leaving early tomorrow morning, so I won't bother you any longer."

Wen Wuqing's eyes flashed, knowing that being too enthusiastic would arouse suspicion, so he smiled and agreed.

"Since that's the case, I won't force you. If fate allows, you must come and visit the Wen family."

Lin Zhixu nodded and left with Li Erniu.

Wen Wuqing watched his retreating figure, her eyes darkening, and a slight smile played on her lips.

Once you're on his turf, you can't just come and go as you please.