Jianyi Xiguo, in a simple small teahouse.

Everything is arranged in an antique style, the tables and chairs are uniformly used in soft warm colors, a string of cute little pendants hangs in front of the window frames, a few potted plants in the corridor are placed in the hallway, and the melodious music is gently low in the museum.

Through the window, you can see a small river outside the museum. The bamboo-like boats slowly pass through the mountains on both sides, the willow trees along the shore stretch their branches, and the fragrance of the fragrance is sent in with the wind, which is mixed with the tea fragrance in the museum, which is even more unique.

In a world where the pace of life is getting faster and faster, this teahouse is like a stagnant space, allowing travelers to stop their busy paces, feel nature, and feel this unique tranquility. The warm and chic atmosphere also makes every guest who steps into the teahouse feel like "coming home".

Chu Tianyao sat quietly at a table for two, elegantly flipping through the menu in his hand. He only wore a regular dress today, which faded away from the coldness of the Nine Venerables, and instead had a little more gentle and elegant temperament. 's exceptionally handsome appearance has also attracted a lot of attention to him. The waiters in the teahouse, as well as a group of young female customers, frequently cast admiring glances in his direction.

Only about a pillar of incense passed, Yan Xueying, who was wearing an ice blue long dress, walked into the teahouse quickly. Staggered all the way to him, slamming his satchel on the table.

"What the hell is there to say between you and me!"

This cold question broke the silence in the teahouse, and also attracted many guests to look at it curiously.

Chu Tianyao's expression did not change at all, and he raised his hand lightly towards the seat opposite, signaling "Sit".

Yan Xueying glared at him angrily for a long time, and finally sat down with a calm face. At this moment, she could feel that the distance between the tables and chairs had been adjusted to a position that she felt comfortable with. Every time we met here before, he would be so considerate to pull out a chair for himself. A similar scene caused a slight fluctuation in Yan Xueying's heart, but it soon disappeared without a trace.

As soon as he raised his eyes, he was about to ask again, but Chu Tianyao looked at the menu by himself, and instructed the waiter on the side: "Give this young lady a cup of lemon tea, add ice, and a fruit platter." Browsing the menu up and down, he politely asked Yan Xueying, "Do you need anything?" The gentle and calm attitude was like a gentleman who cares about his female companion.

With iced lemon tea and fruit platter, I used to love it very much. I don't want to remember them all clearly after three years...... Yan Xueying was so angry that she couldn't let out her anger, and rolled her eyes angrily: "I just need you to disappear in front of me!"

The waiter holding the notebook to make a record looked at the two of them, and couldn't help but smile, thinking that this was an awkward little couple. But this gentleman is really good to his girlfriend...... looks like a talent. Looking at their appearance, it seems that even they believe in love again......

Chu Tianyao asked for a few more refreshments, put down the menu casually, and showed a friendly smile to the waiter. Then, unhurriedly, he looked out the window and seemed to feel the natural scenery here.

Yan Xueying always had a gloomy face, and waited for the waiter to leave before she said coldly: "If you have anything to say, you can say it now." ”

Chu Tianyao smiled faintly: "Don't be busy, don't you think the atmosphere here is very good? You should learn to enjoy life." ”

Picking up the teacup, looking at the flower and bird patterns on the cup, his eyes were a little distant, "This teahouse, I liked it very much when I was in Yixiguo." The environment is quiet and the price is cheap, but unfortunately, their scale has never been able to really grow. ”

Yan Xueying finally sneered: "Chu Tianyao, when will you be able to put away your hypocrisy." ”

Looking at his slightly confused eyes, Yan Xueying said in a vented breath: "With your current ability, as long as you can fund them casually, expand the store for them, or even become the largest chain store on the Spirit Continent, it will be easy. But since you have chosen to sit idly by, why do you want to say these words of mercy now?"

Chu Tianyao lowered his head slightly, and the smile on his face gradually became deeper, "Heh, why should I fund them." ”

Putting down the celadon teacup casually, his hands slowly crossed on the table, "If they are poor, it is because they will not grasp the business opportunities, and I don't need to fund a few mediocre talents." If they are content with the ease of life they have now, why should I spoil their fun? ”

Yan Xueying glared at him. This man does things...... It seems that there is always a set of crooked reasoning of his. But he seems to have a kind of magic that will make people unconsciously identify with him......

Half an hour later, a few dishes on the table had been swept away, and the lemon tea in Yan Xueying's cup was also faintly visible. And the atmosphere between the two has also changed a little imperceptibly.

"Okay, even if you broke the contract three years ago, it was because you were controlled by the Six Imperial Demon Lords, and then entered the Nine Shadows Palace, but with your current status, if you are willing to say a word, will the Luo family dare to disobey the order?"

After Chu Tianyao explained to her in detail the reason for the breach of appointment three years ago, the anger in Yan Xueying's heart had actually subsided a little. But whenever she thinks of all the torture she has suffered in the Luo family, she always can't easily forgive the person in front of her...... His pity, his pity, was nothing more than watching the fire from the other side, wasn't it? Would he really put himself in the shoes of another person?

Chu Tianyao smiled leisurely: "What if I say that I want you to stay in the Luo family?"

Hearing this sentence, the anger in Yan Xueying's heart exploded in full force, and when she picked up a cup of oolong tea on the table, she was about to splash it at him.

Chu Tianyao was not in a hurry, and waved his hand casually: "Don't worry, listen to me patiently." Yan Xueying, under his calmness, actually slowly put down the teacup. But the eyes that stared at him were still cold.

"The Luo family is actually a good piece of soil, with a certain amount of influence, but a weak foundation. I hope you can control it from within the Luo family and become my backing. ”

Speaking of this, Chu Tianyao raised his head, and a rare trace of fragility flashed in his eyes. But in the midst of this vulnerability, there is a kind of determination that is not afraid of challenges.

"You also know that in the Nine Shadows Palace, although I can barely be regarded as the first rank, among the Venerables, I am still at the bottom. The other Venerables, who are not followed by a large group of followers, I am alone, and it is difficult to speak alone, so I must also cultivate my own power. ”

Yan Xueying glared at him coldly, repeatedly reminding herself not to believe his rhetoric anymore, "I'm not interested in your grand hegemony. I just want to get out of the Luo family. ”

"What you think, is it just to leave the Luo family?" Chu Tianyao slowly raised his gaze, and leaned forward slightly in Yan Xueying's shocked gaze, "Shouldn't it be, let the group of old diehards in Tianxiao Pavilion recognize you?"

"Only when I have the power can I have more say and can I better help you. On this Spirit Realm Continent, the only one that can compete with Tianxiao Pavilion is the Nine Secluded Palace. ”

Leaving these few short words, Chu Tianyao drank all the oolong tea in the cup, stood up directly, and left a few spirit stones on the table.

"That's all I have to say, I hope you think about it, I'll wait for your contact. ”

Yan Xueying stared at the empty seat in front of her in a daze, and only after a long time did she raise a hand and gently touch the spirit stone on the table. When he looked out of the door again, Chu Tianyao's back had already disappeared into the crowd of people.

Every time he comes here for tea, he treats him, and this time is the same...... Yan Xueying silently clenched the spirit stone in her hand. However, are these spirit stones really just the price of a cup of tea? Why does she feel that her future life has been bought by these spirit stones?

……

Nine Shades Palace.

In the narrow aisle, Chu Tianyao hurried along. At the same time, another figure in a wide black robe was walking from the opposite side. When the two met head-on, a slick laugh rang out.

"Isn't this the ninth brother?"

Chu Tianyao could hear the surprise that the other party deliberately disguised, and according to the irritability in his heart, he still gave the usual salute.

"The Eight Venerables. ”

The Eighth Venerable raised his hand casually: "Excuse me." The ninth brother is now a big celebrity in front of the hall master, I don't dare to let you salute me. After a pause, he asked pretending to be concerned, "How is the recent mission?"

Chu Tianyao responded indifferently: "Everything is progressing in an orderly manner. There is the Eight Venerable Lao in his arms. ”

The Eighth Venerable nodded slowly: "Well, the hall master attaches great importance to this mission. He will give you this task, which also means that he values you. He patted him on the shoulder meaningfully, and still said in a sharp voice: "So Ninth Brother, you do it well, and the future is immeasurable." ”

After the two passed by, Chu Tianyao glanced at the dark shadow of his figure dragged out of the corridor, and his eyes were a little more solemn.

"I'm doing well and I'm going to take his place in the future, and he doesn't want me to do it too well. However, he must not dare to let the hall master's mission go wrong...... I don't know what he wants, but I'd better be careful. ”

***

Ye Shuo held the map in his hand, inquired all the way, searched all the way, and finally came to a small village on this day. If I hadn't made a mistake before, this place should have been very close to the target Extreme Yin Land.

"I don't know if the villagers here will know, let's go over and inquire......" Ye Shuo muttered to himself, and slowly walked into the village in front of him.

"Is there anybody? Is there anybody?"

At this time, it was evening, and in the Dingtian Mountains, it was the time for farmers to finish their day's work and go back to the house to eat with their hoes. But this village is particularly strange, not only is it empty on all sides, but even the sound of conversation is difficult to hear. There were only a few sparse roosters and dogs barking, and in this unusual silence, there was no reason to be clear.

The deeper he went, the tighter Ye Shuo's brows wrinkled. Through the window frame, you can see that every farmhouse is completely dark, even if the family has not lit up, why is it that everyone is like this? It feels like a dead village that has been uninhabited for a long time.

Ye Shuo's footsteps stopped in front of a farmhouse. His hands touched the door panel, and with a slight push, the door opened. Did the owner leave for a while and didn't break the door, or did something happen that made it too late for him to do so......?

The doubts in Ye Shuo's heart continued to expand. After hesitating for a moment, he slowly stepped over the threshold, holding a ball of spiritual light in his hand to illuminate it.

As far as the light could see, I saw that there were still a few plates of food on the table in the house, and only a few mouthfuls had been hastily moved, and now they had already cooled. The cupboards were left open, as if they had been ransacked, but the contents of the cupboards were still full, and if a robber came, he would have returned empty-handed.

Ye Shuo was suspicious, ran out of the house, and visited several neighboring farmhouses, and what he saw in his eyes was much the same. It's as if there is a mysterious force that has suddenly transferred these villagers who were originally living and working in peace and contentment out of this space......

Just as he was thinking hard about himself, a sudden gust of wind exploded behind his head, and Ye Shuo reflexively turned his head, and what he caught was a heavy punch.

The person in front of him was a young man with short black hair, wearing a cyan robe. Seeing him block the attack, he was not surprised. The spiritual power around his body surged, and then he punched more violently. Ye Shuo didn't know whether the other party was friend or foe, and the other party didn't give him a chance to defend himself, so he could only rush to the battle.

Between the fists and feet, Ye Shuo could feel that the other party's moves and styles were all stable and heavy, and he still did not lose his rules in the dark, and he was a master with a number. Neijin takes the pure yang route, and he should be a person in the righteous path. A few rounds later, Ye Shuo took a spiritual power in his hand, unloading the strength of both sides at the same time, and taking this opportunity, the two also jumped back at the same time.

"Your Excellency, what a skill. Ye Shuo said in a deep voice. He could sense that the other party's realm should also be at the Qi cultivation level. And this person will be willing to give up, thinking about it, he also understands that the two are equal in strength, and if they really want to distinguish the winner and loser, I'm afraid it will take a long time.

The blue-robed man also looked at him, and said coldly for a while: "You are not bad." It's a pity that I'm willing to work for the tiger. ”

"What are you talking about?" Ye Shuo frowned. Since his debut, he has always insisted on walking the right path, and if he is not forced to do so, he rarely even touches blood on his hands. No one has ever put that four-word comment on themselves.

The man snorted coldly: "The minions of the Nine Shadows Palace, don't pretend here!" As he spoke, he flipped his palms and was about to jump up and attack again.

When Ye Shuo heard the words "Nine Secluded Palace", he waved his hand violently: "Wait!"

"Believe it or not, I have the same hatred with the Nine Shadows Palace! I just came here, and I don't know what's going on in this village!"

The man seemed stunned, and said with some hesitation: "You...... Really not from the Nine Shadows Palace?"

Ye Shuo simply shrugged his shoulders: "You don't have anything worth using me." If I'm really from the Nine Shadows Palace, why do I have to tell you so much now!"

The man scrutinized him, as if judging the truth of his words. Ye Shuo also looked at him calmly.

The atmosphere, eerie and silent.

(End of chapter)