65: Chapter 65 Could it be? You're reading this too?

"I, Gu Jian, won't die even if you do." The old man snorted coldly, his gaze scanning the Hehuan Sect Disciples before suddenly landing on Xiao Ye, his brow furrowing. "Who is this? He doesn't look like a Disciple of your Hehuan Sect."

"Guest Elder, Xiao Ye." Luo Li patted Xiao Ye's shoulder with a hint of pride in his voice. "The kind who can refine perfect pills."

Gu Jian's expression instantly shifted from "who are you" to "I've heard much about you," his lips curling into a stiff smile. "Oh? Perfect pills? We should exchange pointers when you have time."

Xiao Ye's lip twitched as he cupped his hands in return. "Certainly, certainly."

He thought to himself: This old man changes his face faster than flipping a book, even more absurd than Zi Yun. Truly an old fox who has lived for hundreds of years; every one of them is a sly one.

Luo Li glanced at the white-clothed Sword Cultivator standing at the front of the Tianjian Sect's group and grinned. "Old man, this one behind you must be your Disciple—Tang Shisan, the Genius Sword Cultivator hailed as the 'Sword of a Century' who comprehended Sword Intent at the age of twenty-five, right?"

Only then did Xiao Ye notice the man.

Just now, he had been too busy looking at the slender-waisted, long-legged female Sword Cultivators of the Tianjian Sect to pay any attention to the men. Now that Luo Li mentioned him, Xiao Ye turned his gaze over—

Tang Shisan? Tang B? With a name like that, and he's a Sword Cultivator 'Genius'?

Alarm bells instantly went off in Xiao Ye's head: Could this be a chosen one, a Child of Luck? This name sounds exactly like a protagonist!

At the mention of his beloved Disciple, Gu Jian's old face bloomed like a chrysanthemum, his wrinkles deepening as his pride became palpable.

How could he not be proud? Breaking through to the Qi Refining Realm at eleven, Foundation Establishment at eighteen, and already at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment by twenty-five, while also comprehending Sword Intent in the same year—how could he not be boastful about cultivating such a Genius?

"Shisan, come and pay your respects to Fellow Daoist Luo Li and the other Elders." Gu Jian beckoned, his tone three parts showing off and seven parts smug.

Tang Shisan stepped forward respectfully and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Senior Luo!"

"Mhm, not bad, not bad." Luo Li nodded, sizing him up before stroking his beard with satisfaction.

Tang Shisan then turned to the other three Hehuan Sect Elders, greeting them one by one with perfect etiquette.

Then—he bypassed Xiao Ye entirely and returned to stand behind Gu Jian.

Xiao Ye: "???"

What's the meaning of this? You're looking down on me?

Holy crap—

Although Xiao Ye didn't want to provoke unreasonable existences like the chosen ones, the person before him was only a "suspected" chosen one—and his surname was Tang.

It was common knowledge that even if someone was a chosen one, as long as their surname was Tang, you could fearlessly go after them. This was the rule; no need to ask why.

Thus, Xiao Ye spoke up directly, his voice not loud but enough for everyone around to hear: "Kid Tang B, you're quite arrogant, aren't you?"

"Tang B? What does that mean?"

Everyone else noticed the issue as well—this Genius Sword Cultivator, Tang Shisan, had greeted four of the five Hehuan Sect Elders, skipping only Xiao Ye, the Alchemist. There was clearly something going on; did they have a grudge?

Gu Jian also frowned and turned to his Disciple. "Shisan, what's going on?"

Tang Shisan remained calm, looking straight ahead as he spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Master, this person does not respect the Senior and Junior Sisters of our Tianjian Sect. Since his arrival, his eyes haven't left them for a moment."

Upon hearing this, everyone realized.

So that was it. Tang Shisan's words were quite euphemistic; translated directly, they meant—this man is a creep, and I disdain to associate with him.

Several Hehuan Sect Disciples couldn't help but steal glances at Xiao Ye with subtle expressions. The female Disciples of the Tianjian Sect all cast looks of disdain, their gazes like knives wanting to pierce Xiao Ye through.

"Kid, what nonsense are you talking about?" Xiao Ye slapped his thigh, looking completely aggrieved, his expression more wronged than Dou E. "Who didn't respect your sisters? Don't you know that in our Hehuan Sect, staring at a woman is a sign of respect!"

Luo Li: "???"

The Hehuan Sect Disciples: "???"

Our Hehuan Sect... has such a saying? How come we didn't know?

Tang Shisan was also stunned by this sudden "theory."

But seeing Xiao Ye's face, which looked too honest to be lying, and considering he was from the Hehuan Sect, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind—Could it be... this really is the Hehuan Sect's way of showing respect? Did I truly misjudge him?

The female Disciples of the Tianjian Sect also looked at each other, the disdain in their eyes turning into confusion—Is he really just... expressing respect?

"Then why did you..." Tang Shisan took a deep breath and gritted his teeth as he pressed further, "only look at the Senior Sisters' legs and chests?"

Xiao Ye's heart skipped a beat—Crap, I already explained it and you're still hounding me, aren't you? Then don't blame me!

He suddenly smiled, a smile full of deep meaning that made a chill run down Tang Shisan's spine.

"How do you know I was looking at their legs and chests?" Xiao Ye spoke slowly, his voice low but every word stabbing into Tang Shisan's ears like a nail. "Could it be—you were watching too?"

"You... you're slandering me!" Tang Shisan's face instantly flushed red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Oh, look at him getting worked up!" Xiao Ye pointed at Tang Shisan, laughing so hard he doubled over. "Look, he's getting defensive! He must have been watching too! Otherwise, how would he know exactly where I was looking?"

Everyone's gazes simultaneously shifted to Tang Shisan, their eyes filled with the thought: So you're that kind of person too.

"F*ck—don't look at me like that!" Tang Shisan completely panicked, his voice cracking and veins bulging on his forehead. "He's the one who was looking! I was just exposing him! Look at him, why are you looking at me!"

He pointed at Xiao Ye, his finger trembling.

But as everyone looked at his flushed face and then at Xiao Ye's calm, breezy smile, they already had their answer—it wasn't certain if Xiao Ye was looking!

But this kid was so worked up; it meant he had a guilty conscience.

The female Sword Cultivators of the Tianjian Sect looked at Tang Shisan with changed expressions: To think you were this kind of person? You sounded so righteous just now, but it turns out you were looking plenty yourself?

Xiao Ye crossed his arms and looked at Tang Shisan with a beaming smile, looking exactly like a fox that had stolen a chicken.

Fight with me? Xiao Ye had lived for over sixty years; what kind of scene hadn't he witnessed? When it came to a battle of wits and words, he had never lost.

Gu Jian watched from the side, his face turning various shades of blue and white before he finally snorted coldly, "Enough! Both of you, say no more!"

Tang Shisan gritted his teeth, glared fiercely at Xiao Ye, and silently retreated behind his Master.

Xiao Ye shrugged with an innocent look, then turned to smile at the female Disciples of the Tianjian Sect. "Fairies, I am Xiao Ye, a Hehuan Sect Guest Elder. My apologies for the offense just now—"

He paused, pulled out a small Storage Pouch from his robes, and tipped it over. With a clatter, a pile of small porcelain bottles rolled out like a magic trick, a dazzling sight.

"These are perfect spirit gathering pills, consider them my apology. Here, one bottle for each of you; everyone gets a share!"