HIDDEN EVIL [XIAO SHUXIANG THE SERIES]
154 - Discussion of the Swordsmen (2)

Mo Huai's eyes slowly opened. The first thing he saw was the fine line of a woman's face. Suddenly, his eyes widened and tried to retreat.

"Aah!" Mo Huai groaned and spontaneously rubbed his head that hit the stone wall. He was too shocked to be surrounded by women.

Xiao Shuxiang heard the groan and raised his eyebrows. He crossed his arms and blinked, "So you're awake?"

"Young Master Xiao...?" Mo Huai only realized that Xiao Shuxiang was in this place. Just in a flash, he stood up and rushed over to the young man. The female disciple who took care of him was even shocked.

"Young Master Xiao...!"

Without warning, Mo Huai directly hugged Xiao Shuxiang and cried. He made many people flinch, including Lan Guan Zhi.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Shuxiang also did not expect to get an unexpected attack. Mo Huai was really crying.

"Young Master Xiao, I think .... I thought I wouldn't see you again ...." Mo Huai sobbed. His actions made Xiao Shuxiang hold his breath.

"Son, where's your pride? Hey..?" Xiao Shuxiang rubbed and patted Mo Huai's back gently, "Males should not cry. Especially in front of a lot of people like this, so pull back your tears."

"But .... I'm so scared,"

Xiao Shuxiang could hear how soft Mo Huai's voice was, the young man's body was even trembling. Lan Guan Zhi who was beside him even knew Mo Huai was really scared.

"Already, already.... Everything's gonna be fine. You are safe now," Xiao Shuxiang calmed Mo Huai until a hug to him was released by himself.

The conference attendees who saw Xiao Shuxiang being hugged so tightly did not utter a single word. They seemed to be able to understand the fear of the young man named Mo Huai.

Especially when looking at how low Mo Huai's practice was, those cultivators felt that the figure they saw did not have much experience in this.

After being successfully calmed down by Xiao Shuxiang, Mo Huai began to tell her everything he knew. He sat on a rock and was with Xiao Shuxiang. Some students who had better feelings also participated in the conversation.

Xiao Shuxiang, "You said .... Forest trouble?"

Mo Huai shook his head slowly, "I'm not sure .... It's just a guess."

"We think so too. We did not enter the forest, so were not exposed to illusions. Most likely it was the forest that was the source of this problem,"

Mo Huai nodded slowly, his expression pale as he recalled the terrible thing he witnessed. With a slightly hoarse voice, he also said. "I .... It should be stronger. I .... Too scared to do anything to save them..."

Mo Huai's chest hurt, he tried not to cry but tears still fell down his cheeks. "The students .... They fought with the intention of killing. They fight to the death and I just .... I could only keep watching everything. I .... Can't do anything,"

Lan Guan Zhi patted Mo Huai's shoulder gently and calmly said, "It's not your fault..."

"Young Master Lan," Mo Huai sobbed. "The disciples could have survived .... If I could be more courageous. But I .... I'm not--"

"Son," Xiao Shuxiang interrupted. He exhaled and slapped his friend's knee. He said, "There are certain things that you cannot prevent in this world, no matter how hard you try. One of them is death. If it's already set for you or for someone else, then you won't be able to prevent let alone run from it. So you don't have to feel guilty, it's their destiny,"

"What's more important...." Xiao Shuxiang continued his remark, "If indeed the forest is the source of the illusions the conference-lantas attendees experienced why aren't you exposed to those illusions? Why am I not experiencing it either? Even though Elder Wang alone was even exposed to this illusion,"

Mo Huai was surprised to hear the words from Xiao Shuxiang, as well as the other disciples. Some of them even nodded and excitedly expressed their long-saved hearts.

"That's what I've been asking you since..!"

"I've even thought about it since the beginning, but haven't had time to ask-Young Master Mo was instantly unconscious,"

!!

Mo Huai was startled and became extremely nervous when he was suddenly noticed by the many pairs of eyes. His face was pale and his voice trembled as he said, "I-I don't know either. I was even surprised why I wasn't exposed to the illusion at all,"

Xiao Shuxiang himself seemed to be playing with his hair bangs. He thought about every incident he had experienced during entering Xiling Canyon and indeed the influence of the illusion seemed to have no effect on him. Surprisingly, Mo Huai was also unaffected.

"What might be because .... Young Master Mo's practice is too weak?" one of the disciples expressed his opinion and made the other students immediately set their eyes on him.

Lan Guan Zhi also thought about it. He looked at Xiao Shuxiang and said, "The relationship between you and Mo Huai. You have weak practices. Perhaps, this illusion only applied to cultivators with certain practices."

Xiao Shuxiang looked at his good friend, "That's even too strange. But .... It's just the possibility that could happen. The Conference of the Eternal Alliance was followed by the best disciples of each sect, of course their cultivation practices were not weak."

Xiao Shuxiang exhaled, "If this is a conspiracy .... Then what you said could be true. This illusion was only intended for cultivators whose practices were high,"

"But isn't it that students who practice weakly are more susceptible to illusions?" a cultivator spoke his mind. Some of his friends agreed too.

"Young Master Xiao, this is completely unreasonable. How could the illusion not work on a weak-practice cultivator, but it was very strong when the cultivator's practice was high?"

"I also feel that this doesn't make sense," Xiao Shuxiang breathed slowly and still thought about it. "We need something that can prove this right or wrong--"

"Young Master Xiao!" Mo Huai was like he had just realized something, "Wang Zhao! We need to find Mr. Wang Zhao,"

Mo Huai said, "Master Wang Zhao is also a conference participant. If we find it, then we'll know whether this illusion affected it or not."

Xiao Shuxiang flinched, "Right! Wang Zhao has the same cultivation practices as you. I'll look for him,"

"I'll help you!"

"We too!"

"It's best not," Xiao Shuxiang prevented the disciples who were intending to help him search for Wang Zhao's whereabouts. He said, "Just consider that the forest is indeed the main source of illusions that make the participants fight each other. And let's just say that it was indeed only cultivators with weak practices who could enter the forest. So if you come with me, you will be affected by the illusion."

Xiao Shuxiang, "I will have no choice but to make you eat the processed pills from the rainbow flies. Honestly, I don't carry much of this stuff. But rainbow flies are quite easy to find in the forest. I could've caught him and-"

"No, it's best not to." a male student interjected. He shook his head slowly and undoed the intention to come with Xiao Shuxiang.

"I-I should also take care of Elder Wang and Se-Senior Taiyang alone," the female disciple who was actually trying to attract Xiao Shuxiang's attention also shook her head.

The students gave up.

"Kissing the smell of rainbow flies alone has made my stomach sick and nauseous, let alone eat it."

"I have never dreamed, not even once, of eating the most pungent-smelling insect in the entire universe."

"I'd rather smell horse shit than smell that shitty bug. Small in shape, but smells ....."

"I don't even want both,"

Xiao Shuxiang held a smile as he saw the disciples before him suddenly goosebumps in horror and even subconsciously closed their noses.

These disciples clearly imagined how bad the smell of the rainbow flies was. They even referred to it as the insect that had the most pungent smell in the entire universe and Xiao Shuxiang agreed.

Xiao Shuxiang walked over and gently patted his good friend's arm, "Lan Zhi. You help them,"

"..............."

Xiao Shuxiang was just about to dart when his hand was suddenly grabbed by Lan Guan Zhi. He was struck by the actions of his good friend.

"Lan Zhi, you-"

!!

Xiao Shuxiang heard the voice of the disciples who were instantly boisterous. Elder Wang Jing Li and the previously unconscious Taiyang Hao now began to wake up. They immediately vomit uncontrollably and try to escape from the rope that binds their bodies.

"Chairman Wang..!"

"Senior Taiyang..!"

"Smartial brother Taiyang..!"

Elder Wang Jing Li and Taiyang Hao heard the cultivators' exclamations. But they had trouble answering because they kept vomiting. Their faces were even very pale and to the point of shedding tears due to this extremely pungent smell.

Mo Huai and a few disciples knew that Elder Wang Jing Li and Taiyang Hao were in great difficulty. They hurried to untie the two men, which allowed Elder Wang Jing Li and Taiyang Hao to vomit in a slightly more comfortable position.

Lan Guan Zhi was still holding Xiao Shuxiang's hand. He looked at his best friend and said, "Stay here. At least help them first,"

"Lan Zhi, they'll be fine."

"Shuxiang, you made Elder Wang and Master Taiyang eat each one of your smelly pills. They vomit for how many hours until both of them get better?"

"Ah... About that ...."

"Don't overdo it. You finish this first,"

"Lan Zhi ...." Xiao Shuxiang shook his hand softly, "I have absolutely no smell-centralizing pills from rainbow flies and cannot do anything to help them. After all, the pungent smell was necessary for both of them to quickly wake up. I'd better go find Wang Zhao--"

"You're hurt, right?"

"What?!" Xiao Shuxiang flinched as Lan Guan Zhi interrupted his remark with a question. He blinked in disbelief and looked at his good friend.

Lan Guan Zhi released his handrails and then patted Xiao Shuxiang's back gently. The clap was very slow, but his good friend was grimacing like he was enduring pain.

Lan Guan Zhi said coldly, "Stupid. You think of others, but you don't think of yourself. You think you can hide it from me?"

"............ This is not a problem, Lan Zhi. You worry too much about me. I have good body regeneration, right? This wound will heal in a moment."

"If so, wait until it recovers."

"But-"

"Stay here," Lan Guan Zhi interrupted and made Xiao Shuxiang give him a deep look.

"Lan Zhi's..."

"You're pushing yourself too hard" Lan Guan Zhi knew this good friend had a body regeneration unlike any other cultivator. But that doesn't mean he doesn't care about his friends.

Lan Guan Zhi without looking towards Xiao Shuxiang directly gave two tootokans to his good friend's back. Xiao Shuxiang vomited blood right then and there, yet this was not realized by the conference attendees as they were all preoccupied with the condition of Elder Wang Jing Li and Taiyang Hao.

Xiao Shuxiang gave a blaming look at his good friend. He was just about to make a sound when Lan Guan Zhi suddenly turned his head and looked at him.

"Dirty blood should be removed" Lan Guan Zhi said calmly. He actually did not know the reason why Xiao Shuxiang was enduring the internal injuries, but Lan Guan Zhi had thought that his good friend was trying not to look weak.

Lan Guan Zhi reached out and intended to wash away the blood on Xiao Shuxiang's lips with her clothing sleeves when her hands were instead held back.

"Buddy, you don't have to do that. I can do it myself," Xiao Shuxiang was just about to use the sleeves from his black robe to clear the blood on his lips as Lan Guan Zhi prevented it.

"Don't make someone else's clothes dirty," Lan Guan Zhi cleaned the blood on his good friend's lips, this time Xiao Shuxiang did not prevent.

"Lan'Eer. Look, now your clothes are dirty,"

"I'm not someone else,"

"You're this..." Xiao Shuxiang protested, "Why do you spoil me so much, I am not a child know."

"Mn, know. You're my Grandpa,"

"Geez," it had been a long time since Xiao Shuxiang had heard such a shitty joke from his good friend. He exhaled and replied to his good friend.

"Lan Zhi, you really are a filial Grandson. Really, did you think I was 'Grandfather' all along'?"

"...........Mn, what do you want me to say?"

"Home,"

"Shuxiang, please,"

"Pfft--" Xiao Shuxiang laughed with a change in the look on Lan Guan Zhi's face. This was the first time he had witnessed his best friend being so shocked that he had almost lost his cool.

"Lan'Er, you don't have to strain so..." Xiao Shuxiang smiled and half-whispered. This time his tone was serious, "I heard it. You were disliked by Jian Yang and the boy's friends because the female disciples of the Thousand Sword Palace admired you, right?"

Lan Guan Zhi blinked and knew the meaning of his good friend's words. He said slowly, "Don't help me with useless things. I don't want any good names stained with weird names anymore."

"Mh... Then you have to find another way. If you do not want help like before, then the other way.... You should get married soon. Yaah... Although I'm not sure this way will work. Evidence .... Me and the White Cat. They know I'm married, but they're still trying to get my attention."

"........... Mn. Do you think Miss Zhi Shu is a good fit?"

"Come, Dude. Not my brother. They're crazy kids,"

"........... Let's talk about it next time,"

The conversation between Lan Guan Zhi and Xiao Shuxiang was indeed more privacy, this was just a talk between two youths who had problems with their charming faces. But the two still did not take their eyes off of noticing the condition of Elder Wang Jing Li and Taiyang Hao.

Xiao Shuxiang and Lan Guan Zhi even stopped chatting as Elder Wang Jing Li and Taiyang Hao had regained their composure, although the bodies of the two men were somewhat limp from vomiting.

******