Chapter 329: Xue Meng's Blind Date: Wayward Young Lady 4

It was once said by a renowned martial artist that the most miserable profession in the world was not a funeral director, nor a beggar, but an innkeeper.

Throughout history, it seemed that all manner of skilled warriors held a special fondness for inns. They would meet secretly for trysts, engage in brawls, and vie for love interests – all within the walls of an inn. Take, for example, Heaven-Stepping Lord and Sect Leader Xue. Their dispute was a family matter that could have been settled with a mere stroll back to the mountain peak for a decisive duel. Yet, they were stubborn and insisted on hastily settling their scores in the inn, behaving like squabbling birds and dogs.

The innkeeper, an elderly woman, was furious about this. She hobbled out with her cane and, seemingly unnecessarily, introduced herself, "I am Shi Longxia, the Old Lady."

The trio exchanged confused glances at her peculiar opening.

Finally, Heaven-Stepping Lord waved his hand nonchalantly and declared, "I am Mo Weiyu, the Emperor."

He then pointed to Chu Wanning, "He is Wanning, the Immortal Sovereign."

Next, he gestured towards Xue Meng, "And he… never mind, he's not well-known."

Xue Meng: "???"

Heaven-Stepping Lord responded, "Just wondering if you're afraid or not."

Madam Shi Longxia was fearless in the face of oppression and dared to confront malevolent forces. With her cane, she swept across the mess on the floor, leaving behind six resounding words: "You all have terrible morals!!"

Xue Meng's face flushed red.

Chu Wanning's expression was grim.

Heaven-Stepping Lord crossed his arms, unfazed, even somewhat indignant. "Hey, you old lady, don't you know your place? Haven't you heard of my heroic feats? The world is under my rule, and if not for my divine prowess during that cataclysmic flood, this measly little inn would have been reduced to splinters and rubble. So what if I smashed a few tables and rooms?!"

Chu Wanning sternly interjected, "Mo Weiyu!"

Heaven-Stepping Lord coughed. "F-Fine, I'll pay compensation! How much do you want? A hundred taels of silver should be enough, right?!"

The proprietress, Madam Shi Longxia, was unmoved by the offer of money. She continued to glare at them with puffed-up cheeks, repeating her declaration with unwavering conviction: "You all have terrible morals!!"

"Hey, you—"

Xue Meng pushed Heaven-Stepping Lord aside, stepping forward awkwardly. He addressed the proprietress, "Ma'am, I'm truly sorry. My temper is quite explosive, and I couldn't control myself. I accidentally destroyed so many tables, rooms, and even punched holes in your roof. I apologize, and I'll make sure to compensate you for the damages. Would that be acceptable?"

Turning back to Chu Wanning, he asked, "Master, would that be alright?"

Before Chu Wanning could speak, the little old lady thumped her cane on the ground again, huffing as she repeated, "Virtue—"

"He lacks moral integrity," Heaven-Stepping Lord interjected, rolling his eyes impatiently. "Oh, come on, old lady, what exactly do you want? We've compensated you and apologized, yet you keep harping on about poor morals. Besides, even if you disregard me, shouldn't you consider who he is associated with? I have no objections if you claim that I am morally lacking, and I don't wish to quibble if you say the same about Xue Meng. But surely you must know who he is, right?"

Saying so, he pulled Chu Wanning closer.

"Are you blind?"

Chu Wanning flicked his sleeve, attempting to free it from the Heaven-Stepping Lord's grasp, his sword-like eyebrows knitted in anger as he snapped, "Get lost."

"Heaven-Stepping Lord won't budge." Not only did he not let go, he huffed and forcibly pulled the other closer, pinching his chin and whispering with a lick of his lips, "Try begging me if you can."

Xue Meng: "…"

Chu Wanning: "…Courting death!"

The old lady seemed genuinely unimpressed by the World-Saving Immortal Lord. She continued tapping her cane loudly and grumbling, "Such terrible morals indeed!"

Everyone exchanged glances. Even Chu Wanning was at a loss for words to address her this time.

As three renowned Immortal Lords found themselves cornered in the dimly lit alcove of an inn's second floor by an elderly woman with white hair and frail appearance, unable to escape her words, a creaking sound came from the stairway. A young girl dashed upstairs and latched onto the innkeeper's arm, turning to them with a crisp voice, "Excuse me, excuse me! My grandma can't hear well and has trouble seeing, so she doesn't know what's happening outside or who you are."

Xue Meng let out an "Ah," saying, "No wonder, it's like that, then..."

Heaven-Stepping Lord was taken aback and coughed softly, rather uneasily. He whispered, "Why didn't she say that earlier then?"

The little girl blinked in confusion. "She wouldn't, my grandma always tells people at the beginning when she talks to them."

"What does she tell them?"

"I'm a deaf and blind old lady."

Chu Wanning: "..."

Xue Meng: "..."

Heaven-Stepping Lord turned his head. "Who just thought her name was Shi Longxia?"

Xue Meng snapped, "Isn't it obvious, you dog?!"

Due to their accidental destruction of the old lady's shop, there were no carpenters available for repairs, and as the sky darkened with an impending storm, the trio offered to stay and help fix the building before the rain arrived.

Among them was a master of mecha, one accustomed to a life of hardships, and Xue Meng, who often assisted Xue Zhengyong. Together, they worked diligently, easily handling tasks like repairing tables, chairs, planks, and the roof.

As they finished the last beam, a downpour began outside, shrouding Impermanence Town in a veil of fog. The old lady's granddaughter, seeing the intensity of the rain, invited them to stay overnight and leave the next day when it stopped.

For Chu Wanning and his companions, creating a barrier to return to the mountain wasn't difficult, but it would still be somewhat inconvenient. Moreover, they hadn't spent quality time together without worldly distractions for a long while.

Rain couldn't confine people; only hearts could trap themselves.

Seeing Xue Meng's longing gaze, Chu Wanning sighed and said to the young proprietress, "Then we'll impose on your hospitality."

"Please, don't mention it!" The little girl recognized their identities and blushed with joy, eagerly hopping away to prepare dinner and rooms.

The meal was filled with an awkward atmosphere.

As Mo Ran had once mentioned, the three of them no longer belonged under the same roof. Although Xue Meng missed them dearly and yearned for their former inseparable days, some bridges, once burned, could not be rebuilt. Pretending that nothing had happened between them would only be a deception.

Could Xue Meng pretend ignorance about their relationship? Clearly not.

Thus, despite his efforts to engage in conversation with Chu Wanning, he always felt an awkwardness lingering between them. Especially since he had been told that, back at Peach Bud Manor, Chu Wanning had been taken by Mo Ran behind a screen, right in front of him. Although it had been a long time ago, and the initial shock had long since passed, whenever he sat beside them, he couldn't help but recall that incident, and his mind would uncontrollably drift to imagining...

Chu Wanning and Mo Ran...

His master and his cousin...

Uh...

He was genuinely curious if Chu Wanning had been too overwhelmed to resist back then, considering how unreliable Mo Ran could be. However, he didn't dare to ask, nor did he dare to speak his thoughts, so he found himself glancing at Chu Wanning several times, hesitating on the verge of speaking –

"Master..."

"Hmm?"

"... Have more meat."

"Master..."

"Hmm."

"…Eat more meat."

"Master…"

"…"

"…You should still eat more meat."

As the saying goes, one's momentum wanes after the initial burst, and Xue Meng felt his energy waning. Yet, Heaven-Stepping Lord watched as Sect Leader Xue fawned over Immortal Venerated Beidou, unusually not intervening but instead adopting an indifferent attitude, sneering while gnawing on a bone.

The three of them ate in silence at the table. Eventually, Chu Wanning could no longer bear the strange atmosphere and rose to his feet, saying, "I'm retiring to my chamber."

Heaven-Stepping Lord replied, "Very well, I won't see you off."

With a somber expression, Chu Wanning turned on his heel and left, brushing his sleeves dismissively.

Xue Meng, upon witnessing this, could no longer hold back and dramatically slammed down his chopsticks. "Mo Ran!"

Heaven-Stepping Lord lazily gnawed on his bone and said, "What now? Looking to court the sun again?"

"You--" he gritted his teeth, "You ungrateful thing!!"

"What have I done to offend you now, Daoist Gai?"

"Uh... what?"

"Daoist Gai, the Peerless Wavering Lad."

Xue Meng almost leaped up to strangle Heaven-Stepping Lord. The two of them bickered and panted, glaring at each other across the table. Xue Meng slammed his hand on the table and demanded, "Explain yourself! Why did you betray Master?!"

"Ai, hold on, Xue Meng. You're not that sycophantic. Before the illusionary spell was lifted, you were the one saying he didn't deserve me. He's the Chen Shimei of the cultivation world, on par with Jiang Xi. Those were your own words."

"That's because you took things out of context!" Xue Meng retorted angrily. "What about him leaving me alone in an empty room? Clearly, he had already... already..."

Already turned to dust for their sake and the mortal world.

Even after the misunderstanding was resolved and they knew the truth, that past incident remained a sensitive topic for both Xue Meng and Heaven-Stepping Lord – a subject too painful to delve into.

Heaven-Stepping Lord immediately glared back at him. "Don't say it."

"I had no intention of saying more anyway."

They glared at each other for a while longer before Xue Meng said, "In any case, I refuse to believe that our Master would be unfaithful. That person who stole your affection must be a figment of your imagination!"

"Heaven-Stepping Lord didn't!"

"Then who was it?"

"It was that hypocrite, Grandmaster Mo!"

"You..." Xue Meng choked, feeling dumbfounded. After a long moment, he finally managed to regain his composure and slapped the table, standing up in a rage. "Are you insane?!"

"After all this time wasted on your nonsense, I was listening to you slap yourself in the face! You're even jealous of yourself; there's something wrong with you! You, you, you... You really should go see Solitary Moon Night! Should I make an appointment for you with Jiang Xi? Mentioning my name will save you money!"

"Oh?" Heaven-Stepping Lord was a man particularly astute in certain aspects. He lifted his head with gossiping interest, bypassing the obstacle to strike at the blind spot. "Wait, why would mentioning your name save money?"

"I—"

Heaven-Stepping Lord narrowed his eyes. "When did you become such good friends with Jiang Xi?"

"I, I..."

Xue Meng stumbled over his words, clearly at a loss.

If there was anything Heaven-Stepping Lord didn't know in his two lifetimes, it was likely the mystery surrounding Xue Meng's origins. The truth that Jiang Xi was his biological father had been carefully guarded by Madame Wang, and after her and Xue Zhengyong's passing, only the two of them knew the secret. The rest of the world was none the wiser.

Heaven-Stepping Lord could never have guessed the true connection between Xue Meng and Jiang Xi. As he observed Xue Meng's face flush from white to red, then to an ashen shade of green, unable to express his discomfort, a sudden realization dawned on him like a flash of enlightenment.

Ah! Could it be...

So that's how it is!!

Given his own preference for mature, aloof men like Chu Wanning, he assumed others must share the same taste. Thus, he jumped to a wrong conclusion and began to view Xue Meng with newfound respect. As he watched, he couldn't help but marvel inwardly, not having expected this...

"No need to explain," Heaven-Stepping Lord said, suddenly losing his hostility. He rose to his feet and poured himself another cup of wine, lifting it respectfully to toast, "Xue Meng, heroes admire other heroes. You've truly made a name for yourself! This Lord congratulates you!"

Xue Meng: "????"

It had to be said that Xue Meng's interactions with Mo Ran, under Heaven-Stepping Lord's persona, were still too limited. Accustomed to his upright and honorable brother, Grandmaster Mo, he failed to grasp an important point: when speaking with Heaven-Stepping Lord, the term "able" often carried a non-conventional meaning.

It wasn't until Xue Meng was dazedly poured another cup of wine and promptly fell over that he realized Heaven-Stepping Lord's "brother, you're really capable" was praising him for something, and the "congratulations" referred to an entirely different matter.

He only vaguely heard Heaven-Stepping Lord slink up beside him and ask in a teasing manner, "Hey, so how did it taste? Was it good? Strong enough?"

Xue Meng thought he was talking about the wine and huffed, "Not strong enough? It was way too strong... I just can't handle it..."

Dizzy and feeling increasingly nauseous, Mo Ran, that damn dog, had actually fed him Burning Blade liquor.

No way, he needed to report this to his master...

Stumbling towards Chu Wanning's room, he was stopped by Heaven-Stepping Lord. Xue Meng's eyes glazed over as he wondered why Heaven-Stepping Lord had suddenly become so enthusiastic. He mumbled, "W-what are you doing?"

Heaven-Stepping Lord grabbed hold of Xue Meng and raised an eyebrow. "A thousand cups are not enough when you meet a friend who shares your passion. We finally have something to talk about, why are you being shy? Let me tell you, with your personality, I've always thought no maiden could tolerate you. It's not easy for you to figure things out, so listen to your big brother—"

Xue Meng could barely stay on his feet, his face turning green. "Let go, I... I want to..."

Heaven-Stepping Lord didn't care what he wanted.

He only felt that Xue Meng was unusually lucid, and that his younger brother had finally learned from him, understanding that bedding Immortal Venerable was the most meaningful thing in life.

Initially, there was Elder Brother's favor bestowed upon the Night Jade Yu Heng, the Esteemed Immortal Zhenxian.

In the aftermath, a younger brother lays claim to the enigmatic charm of Jiang Ye Chen, stealing his shadows and lingering fragrances.

Marvelous!

He was even contemplating penning an epic tale of their heroic feats and then forcing the publishers to print ten million copies, distributing them across the entire cultivation world at sword-point!

And thus, he became prosperous once more!

Thus, Heaven-Stepping Lord exclaimed eagerly, "I have conducted extensive research in this area. Since you're my younger brother, I can reluctantly impart a few pointers to you..."

"Let go... I want to..."

"I know what you want, but your stamina isn't as great as mine. You can't indulge too much; the key lies in technique. And my techniques, of course, are exceptionally—"

"Ugh!!!" A loud retching sound interrupted Heaven-Stepping Lord's self-praise.

Xue Meng, also known as Xue Ziming, had previously vomited on the exquisite face of their senior disciple brother Mei Hanxue. Now, he was unleashing an unbridled, nausea-inducing torrent upon the handsome visage of the Butterfly Bone Beauty, Lord of the Human Realm, Di Renjie.

"Heaven-Stepping Lord's face instantly darkened!

"Xue Meng! Damn it, don't vomit on this Lord's clothes! This was bought with the private money I earned by chopping wood for a whole day when I descended the mountain! Damn!"

In response, Xue Meng rolled his eyes and unleashed another wave of nausea, "Ughhh—"