When walking into the room and hearing the man saying something like his admirer, Mu Chen grabbed the flagon on the table and threw it straight to the man’s face with no hesitation, looking greatly disgusted.
And then, the man raised his hand to block, caught the flagon and cleaned it with great caution as if it were a treasure. The man pouted with complaints in a low voice: “We haven’t met for over 10 years. Yet you greet me with a hit on the face. So cruel.”
Hearing that, Mu Chen rolled his eyes at the man, unwilling to reply.
Then, Gu Yunjue pulled up a chair for Mu Chen and after seeing Mu Chen sitting down here, Gu Yunjue just stood beside him politely. Seeing that, Mu Chen pointed to the chair next to him, let Gu Yunjue have a seat and told him to save the unnecessary curtesy.
The man in cyan sized up Gu Yunjue with curiosity and exclaimed: “So beautiful!”
Hearing that, Mu Chen proudly hummed and held his chin high, arrogantly saying: “Of course he is beautiful because he’s mine disciple.”
“Your disciple? You are still a child. How could you have a disciple? Look at him, how obedient and lovable. Others may see him as your child bride if they don’t know the truth.”
At the moment, Mu Chen just took a sip of the wine, but then he was shocked to spat it out when hearing the man’s words. Some faint pink came up onto his face, making his beautiful face much livelier, and he fumed, “Nonsense! You wanna die?”
Squinting his eyes at both of them, Gu Yunjue quickly took out a handkerchief to dab his Master’s mouth and by the way ran his fingers through his Master’s hair. Before they came here, Gu Yunjue felt dissatisfied with Mu Chen’s decision to see the man and he thought there were something unusual in between them because Gu Yunjue had seen the man twice and sensed that Mu Chen seemed to have a more “intimate and ambiguous” relationship with the man than with Liu Hanzhi in his previous life. But now, he saw something different. The way the man looked at little master was like he was looking at his junior.
So Gu Yunjue felt greatly pleased now and more amused as he saw his Master’s shy look.
“Master, don’t you want to introduce him to me?” Gu Yunjue smiled, poking Mu Chen in his waist as if he often did.
“Chen Mo.” Mu Chen paused after that as if hesitating how to introduce.
“Your elder brother. So difficult? You are really...you are always so dishonest.” Chen Mo added quickly.
Mu Chen put on his coldness again, “Not real brother.”
Chen Mo immediately added again: “More intimate than his real family.”
Mu Chen wanted to contradict him, but he had no idea how to put it due to his clumsy of speech.
There was a flash of understanding in Gu Yunjue’s eyes. Gun Yunjue only knew Mu Chen had a mysterious origin, but no one came to rescue when Mu Chen encountered difficulty. So the “brother” was dubious, and moreover, they had different family names. Then Gu Yunjue smiled: “I didn’t know Master had a brother before. Glad to meet you. Martial Uncle.”
Waving his hand, Chen Mo pleasantly took out a small jade Buddha and handed it over to Gu Junjue, smiling: “I never expected he would have a disciple. So I didn’t prepare a gift for you. Take it and then anyone having the same jade plate will do you a favor when you get in trouble in future.”
Looking at that, Mu Chen’ face looked colder, “We won’t accept anything from Chen family. Take it back.”
Gu Yunjue declined it. Little master said not to accept it, and then he wouldn’t ever receive it. But at the same time, Gu Yunjue was surprised by Mu Chen’s family background. Never had he expected that Mu Chen came from such a big family, but why did he choose to cultivate himself in Lofty Cloud Sect all alone, with that big family to reply upon? Gazing at Mu Chen’s profile, Gu Yunjue decided to investigate.
Chen Mo had no choice but to take the plate back when he saw the frost on Mu’s face. The he signed with emotions: “Finally, you have someone look after you. Then I won’t feel worried about you.”
However, Mu Chen just poured a cup of wine for himself, drank himself and did not make a response, looking very calm. It was not awkward now but still felt uncomfortable. Gu Yunjue sensed the instable, or even annoyed feelings of Mu Chen since Chen Mo took out the jade Buddha plate symbolizing Chen family.
Chen Mo continued: “When you were still a child, you told me you were lost and asked me to find you. Then, I asked you where you were, but you said you didn’t know! You said there was a path before you and another behind, trees around you as well as clouds overhead. I was ever worried that no one would look for you when you grew up and got lost again. But now I finally feel much more relieved.”
Watching Chen Mo’s teasing look, Mu Chen put down the cup and exerted his utmost strength to restrain his desire to draw his sword and kill him.
He did mention these embarra.s.sments in front of Gu Yunjue! How could I teach him as a model in future?
Trying hard not to laugh, Gu Yunjue gripped Mu Chen’s hands and reminded him not to be impulsive, but Gu Yunjue still felt that Mu Chen was calmer now and he was only ashamed into anger. Chen Mo, he did know how to influence Master’s emotions.
They were really intimate before, weren’t they?
Mu Chen calmed down because of Gu Yunjue’s coax and drank the wine to oppress his anger. As a matter of fact, Gu Yunjue’s anger was only temporary. Anyone could handle Mu Chen as long as he knew that point. Obviously, Gu Yunjue knew it well and coaxed him without difficulty.
Ending on good note, Chen Mo dropped his eyes and had a drink, some surprise flashing in his eyes. He never expected that there was really a man who could calm down Mu Chen. Gu Yunjue was by no means an ordinary person. Finding Mu Chen’s anger subsided, Chen Mo continued the tease: “Our I-Go was adjourned last time. You didn’t change it, did you?”
Mu Chen hummed chilly, “I’ve thrown it away.”
Chen Mo cried out, “You are a poor loser!”
Mu Chen was rendered speechless: “......”
He shouldn’t have come here. Why must he see this man? Why didn’t he go and buy the fox with Gu Yunjue?
Enough for this time, Chen Mo thought. Then, Chen Mo changed his look and said earnestly: “Drop a visit home if you are free. After these years, they all miss you.”
Hearing that, Mu Chen frowned, looking impatient and annoyed.
“Even though he did everything wrong, he is still your...”
“Bang!” Mu Chen slapped the cup in his hand onto the table before Chen Mo and immediately silenced the latter, a flicker of anger coming up on his cold face, “I come to see you not to hear your persuasion.”
“Well. Well. Well. I’ll stop it.” Chen Mo raised his hands to surrender and as he signed secretly, somehow an old saying came to his mind: You shouldn’t have behaved like that in the beginning when you knew what the result would be.
Then, Mu Chen stood up and flapped his delicate loose sleeves, apparently fed of talking about the old days.
Of course, Gu Yunjue followed closely behind his Master.
Then, Chen Mo caught up with them unhurriedly, not stop his talking: “Where are you going?”
Mu Chen refused to reply with his cold face.
Noticing that, Gu Yunjue explained: “It’s said that the auction is selling a nine-tailed fox. So Master wants to buy it for me.”
“A nine-tailed fox. It must be white and fluffy,” Chen Mo patted Gu Yunjue on the shoulder so hard that it sounded very loudly, and he watched the latter with a look of ‘I know you’, signing, “It’s really hard on you.”
Hearing that, Gu Yunjue shook his head as if he didn’t get the meaning of the words. And then looking at Mu Chen’s stiff back, Gu Yunjue also failed to suppress the smile extending to the corners of his mouth. He walked to Mu Chen and held his hands, gently saying: “I love fluffy things. Master, you must buy it for me later, please. And I brought with me lots of spiritual stones.”
Mu Chen hummed in a cold voice, loftily saying: “No need to use your pocket money. Spiritual stones are what I have most.”
“You are right, Master.” In just a few words Gu Yunjue succeeded in softening Mu Chen. After a shock, Chen Mo, who was following behind, had some deep confusion in his eyes.
There was something wrong with the way Mu Chen got along with Gu Yunjue.
At the very moment, Gu Yunjue turned around and smiled slightly at Chen Mo, like saying: “See? He’s fine now.”
Noticing that, Chen Mo froze for a second and then thought that he might get them wrong. Mu Chen was the person who let those obeying him prosper while those disobeying him die. Once he acted strongly, no one could stop him. And Mu Chen dared to kick off his ancestral tablets when he was forced too much. So it was reasonable that Mu Chen were so intimate with Gu Yunjue as Gu Yunjue had followed him and coaxed him from childhood.
Perhaps, it should be that. But deep down Chen Mo felt something more complicated that was too difficult to figure out.
Mu Chen walking ahead had already stopped at a candy store, bought a packet of candies there and slipped them to Gu Yunjue’s hands. Looking at that, Chen Mo wanted to make fun of Mu Chen again, “Ah yeah! Oops! You are so good at spoiling your disciple. But your future Daoist companion may be jealous of him.”
“Why must I have that kind of companion? A disciple is enough for me,” said Mu Chen so proudly as if the disciple was comparable to everyone.
Hearing that, Gu Yunjue smiled brightly like the radiant and enchanting sunlight. What little master said just now was imprinted on his heart.
The Auction of Qiyang City was famous among tens of cities surround it. Since it was purchased by w.a.n.gchen Pavilion three years ago, the Auction’s mysterious operating style and management methods raised its reputation up to a higher level. And traditionally, they would hold an auction at the end of every month and auction items were rare things among the Three Realms.
In the past, this kind of activity wouldn’t interest Mu Chen, but his disciple liked it now. Gu Yunjue came here once and then he took to this kind of feeling of squandering, coming here every a few months. Mu Chen was worried about Gu Yunjue going out alone so he would accompany his little disciple most of time.
The moment waiters at the Auction saw Mu Chen, they seemed like seeing innumerable shining spiritual stones and then a clever child cultivator ran to three of them affably and made a deep bow first, smiling genuinely, “Sect Elder Mu, our owner thought you might arrive by now so a room has been kept for you in advance, so are tea and deserts.”
Hearing that, Mu Chen just gave a cold glance at the child and went straight into the room without the slightest intention to reply him. Apparently, little child cultivator had gotten used to this kind of att.i.tude and still ran to show them the way politely. When he pa.s.sed by Gu Yunjue, the child cultivator bowed his head lower.
After serving Mu Chen to have a seat, the child cultivator offered the catalogue of today’s auction items. Mu Chen turned the pages casually and found some interested items, such as, Spirit-purifying Basin whose finely-painted decorative patterns looked beautiful and might be used as a fish tank, Qian Kun Lock looked good, and it could become smaller after contracting with its master and might be used to as a sword ta.s.sel for his disciple. Browsing through the catalogue to the end, Mu Chen raised his eyebrow and thought, ‘The nine-tailed fox demon of third rank possess demonic power equals that of the cultivator at the Golden Core Stage. How unfortunately it was to be caught up by people and to be sold here as a pet.’
As for Chen Mo, he had planned to leave soon after meeting with Mu Chen, but he changed his mind to stay with them and observe them longer after seeing Gu Yunjue. As a result, three of them just sit in silence. Gu Yunjue just stared at Mu Chen and never removed his eyes away from his master as if he was enchanted by the latter. Were it not for the eyes so clear without any desire or l.u.s.t, Chen Mo might doubt him to be a h.o.r.n.y man, a lech. Then looking at Mu Chen, Chen Mo found that Mu Chen had already gotten accustomed to the staring from his disciple and did his own things without any sign of being influenced.
This time, Chen Mo did fall into silence, feeling heavy in his heart.
Sensing that, Mu Chen raised his head and cast the Chen Mo a cold glance, “Sick? Unmentionable disease?”
Chen Mo: “......”
“Why did you stare at me just now if you were not sick?”
Chen Mo felt distressed.
You didn’t say anything when your disciple gazed at you for such a long time, while so many complaints came up when I gave only a glimpse at you.