HIDDEN EVIL [XIAO SHUXIANG THE SERIES]
218 - Zhang Xiao Lian

Xiao Shuxiang put down a bamboo basket containing red ginseng root and saw Zhang Xiao Lian who was so serious about choosing the best ingredients for her pill.

Xiao Shuxiang could not bear to not speak. He said, "I'm sure the ingredients are of the best quality. Why did you choose him again?"

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

There's no answer. Xiao Shuxiang got silence in return, even though he had already tried to open the conversation.

Exhaling, Xiao Shuxiang nodded slowly. "I understand, you don't want to be disturbed. Alright,"

Xiao Shuxiang turned around and intended to take the basket from the other bamboo webbing. Only, he still did not stop talking.

"You know, maybe you should come up with a pill that can help you be more chatty. Or at the very least, make a pill that can slightly soften your cold face and legs. It's a pity if you don't have any friends, when you're beautiful."

"............ Thank you,"

Xiao Shuxiang gasped at Zhang Xiao Lian's voice. He turned his head spontaneously and seemed to blink in disbelief.

Xiao Shuxiang said, "What are you thanking me for? I'm not praising you,"

Zhang Xiao Lian turned around, she looked at Xiao Shuxiang for quite a while before blurting out without a tone. ".............. You said I was beautiful. Thank you,"

Xiao Shuxiang was stunned for a while, before smiling bitterly. "From the many words I said, she thanked me just because I called her beautiful? Tsk, tsk, tsk, amazing."

"Ehm .... Miss Zhang, do you know what pills you're going to concoct?" Xiao Shuxiang asked as he brought the last wicker basket and placed it near Zhang Xiao Lian.

"............. Love potion,"

Xiao Shuxiang choked on his breath. He coughed and immediately looked at this girl who had no sweetness at all. He said with an expression of disbelief, "You .... Seriously say?"

"Mrs,"

"Miss Zhang, what is it .... An aphrodisiac?"

"The effect is not that strong,"

"Wait, isn't this illegal? You ...." Xiao Shuxiang stared at Zhang Xiao Lian's horror. Unexpectedly, this iceberg-cold-faced girl was a person who was like 'it'. He's just horrified himself.

Zhang Xiao Lian himself seemed to know what the young man beside him was thinking. He said without a tone, "This drug is legal and is a herb for Shizun's pet Demonic Beast,"

"A-Ah, so ..." Xiao Shuxiang laughed bitterly, "I had a chance to think that was not so. Uhm .... But what's with your pet Shizun demonic beast?"

".............. It was a Fire Phoenix. Want to be mated with another kind of phoenix,"

Xiao Shuxiang nodded slowly. He began to understand and then asked randomly. "Have you ever made this kind of potion before?"

".............. Mn,"

"How is it used?" Xiao Shuxiang was starting to get interested. He put on a face full of curiosity.

Zhang Xiao Lian looked at the young man beside her and then said, "It should be mixed with food or drink. He'll start falling in love with the opposite sex first he sees,"

Xiao Shuxiang was pale-faced, "Is this not a problem? Isn't that a compelling act?"

"Phoenix Shizun is not human. If it is not done, then there will be no descendants. Could be extinct,"

"But .... At a certain age would not a Demonic Beast be able to possess a physical body like a human? They will also be able to talk and act like humans. Why must-wait. Why am I thinking about it? It's none of my business,"

Xiao Shuxiang was shocked by himself. Somehow he started thinking about other living things. This even made him shiver.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Xiao Lian asked as he looked at the young man beside him with a somewhat pale face. Zhang Xiao Lian's own expression still did not change.

Xiao Shuxiang cleared his throat and then asked to distract, "Is the effect of this concoction of yours permanent?"

"............. No. gabe. Just lasted a day,"

Xiao Shuxiang blinked, "Isn't that too short. What happens next if the effect is lost?"

Zhang Xiao Lian breathed slowly and then explained, "Love banquet .... Just a trick. The phoenix is a proud animal, dishonest to its own feelings. So this is a potion so he can be more forthright,"

"What kind of example? I'm really interested,"

"If there is a love for the opposite sex, this herb will strengthen its effect. Like that,"

Xiao Shuxiang's clear eyes grew brighter, he smiled and then asked. "Have you ever tried your homemade potion on a human?"

".............. You wanna try it?"

"Of course not." Xiao Shuxiang spontaneously replied, "I definitely don't want to be your herb guinea pig."

Zhang Xiao Lian saw that this young man had become misbehaved. He even saw Xiao Shuxiang rubbing his arms as if he was goosebumps amused.

Zhang Xiao Lian breathed slowly and then said, "You are indeed interesting. As Qing Zhu'Er said."

"Qing Zhu'Er...? What's my White Cat?" Xiao Shuxiang blinked. He watched the girl beside him from top to bottom and then asked, "You recognize my White Cat...?"

"Xiao Shuxiang's. You're Ling Qing Zhu's husband, right?"

"really. Then why?"

"..............." Zhang Xiao Lian was silent for quite a long time before saying without a tone, "Junior Qing Zhu'Er often talks about you. You have an interesting character,"

Xiao Shuxiang did not mistakenly hear him and he was stunned for a moment. He said, "My White Cat .... Is it always talking to you?"

".............. Mn,"

".............. What say?"

"Come, Miss. How could I know? Who could have guessed the contents of the girl's heart with that flat board face? I'm still in shock because I just found out that he's always talking about me behind my back,"

"..............." Zhang Xiao Lian did not speak. He made Xiao Shuxiang feel even more curious and indeed just like Ling Qing Zhu said, this young man was very talkative.

*

*

On that day, Xiao Shuxiang continued to persuade Zhang Xiao Lian while watching the girl who started concocting her potions.

Elder Meng Hao Niang noticed Xiao Shuxiang's behavior, but said nothing. He just sat leaning back while enjoying the wine on his pumpkin jug.

Zhang Xiao Lian used spiritual energy to lift up her potion-making ingredients and put the various plants into a large pot.

His concentration was completely unperturbed even though Xiao Shuxiang did not stop to ask him to speak.

"Foolish Boy," Elder Meng Hao Niang finally opened his voice because he no longer held it. He said, "Can you not disturb the person who is studying? If you don't have anything to do, then go."

Xiao Shuxiang crossed his arms and walked towards Elder Meng Hao Niang. He stood beside the woman and then said, "Chairman Meng. You don't know anything. My White Cat talks about me behind my back. I don't know what the girl discussed with Miss Zhang. My hunch was bad and I felt that I had been spoken of badly,"

"Hmph, is there any good you can say to others? You're just a delinquent, a troublemaker, shameless, and even disrespectful to parents."

Xiao Shuxiang was flabbergasted and then shook his head slowly. He also clucked, "Chairman Meng. Don't you remember that I saved this sect? I also follow whatever you say, including cleaning your big pot. Isn't that a favor?"

Elder Meng Hao Niang watched the young man beside him from top to bottom. He also said, "All right. I'll think of you as a devoted servant. Now go,"

"Huh, waiter .... So I'm a waiter? You even kicked out as soon as you finished using me. Good ... Very good," Xiao Shuxiang said in a mocking tone. He also looked at Zhang Xiao Lian when he heard a strong buzzing sound.

Zhang Xiao Lian had finished making her potion. The white-clothed girl used her spiritual energy to fill ten jade bottles with peach-colored liquid.

Xiao Shuxiang asked Elder Meng Hao Niang. "Did you know that he made a love potion?"

"Of course, he got permission from his Shizun." Elder Meng Hao Niang replied in a lazy tone.

Xiao Shuxiang said, "That banquet was not taught by you?"

Elder Meng Hao Niang drank his wine and then said, "I am not part of this sect. So my abilities certainly do not give to just anyone. I just lent her my pot,"

"Yes, you can't be this stingy..." Xiao Shuxiang said, "The two Bangka have already given you a place to stay. At the very least, you should have helped this sect even if it was only a little. Or maybe .... You don't know how to return the favor."

"..............." Elder Meng Hao Niang looked at the young man beside him. He went back to drinking his wine and said, "What about you? Do you know how to return the favor?"

Xiao Shuxiang snorted, "Of course. If anyone dares to make me bend, I'll crush his kneecap. Isn't that a favor?"

Elder Meng Hao Niang exhaled softly and said, "I think you need to try Xiao Lian's concoction. You have a problem in your conscience, no love in it."

"What?!" Xiao Shuxiang flinched upon hearing Elder Meng Hao Niang's words. His brows were intertwined, he was just about to open his voice when Elder Meng Hao Niang returned to speak.

"Did you never ask yourself questions about what you like? Or about who you really like?"

Zhang Xiao Lian was done with her work. He turned his head and noticed Elder Meng Hao Niang's conversation with the dazzling young man.

"..............." Xiao Shuxiang looked at the woman beside him but did not say anything.

Elder Meng Hao Niang realized that and asked Zhang Xiao Lian to bring him one jade bottle containing the potion. The white-clothed girl nodded in understanding.

Elder Meng Hao Niang picked up Zhang Xiao Lian's jade bottle and noticed it before gazing towards Xiao Shuxiang.

He said without a tone, "You are an alchemist. I think you can do something to perfect this drug. At least you can wash your heart a little,"

Xiao Shuxiang spontaneously caught the jade bottle that Elder Meng Hao Niang had thrown at him. He flinched and began to notice the thing in his hand.

Xiao Shuxiang snorted, "Do you want me to take out my internal organs and wash them with this? I don't need it. Take it back,"

Elder Meng Hao Niang said, "You have a problem with your conscience. Whatever you do, it won't do anything good. Before your sick heart recovers, your brain will continue to think of killing. You won't be able to defeat the Devil's Dream if your heart isn't fixed,"

"..............." Xiao Shuxiang watched Elder Meng Hao Niang and the woman spoke again.

Elder Meng Hao Niang said, "Because I am from the same flow region as you-I can quite understand. Cultivator of the Black Stream .... Most are not raised with love. They threw away their conscience, assuming it was a weakness. Are you the one who experienced such a thing ... Not realized?"

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

Elder Meng Hao Niang snorted, "Look at you looking at me and just kept quiet, it seems like you are not stupid at all. This is your first lesson from me, go."

"..............." Zhang Xiao Lian himself actually did not understand what kind of problem elder Meng Hao Niang had with Xiao Shuxiang. The atmosphere around these two people felt rather tense.

Only, he was too stiff to ask questions. Especially now, the dazzling young man started walking away without saying anything.

Elder Meng Hao Niang himself stared at the back of Xiao Shuxiang who was about to step out of his residence. He was just about to drink his wine when suddenly a voice came from the young man.

Xiao Shuxiang turned his head and said in a serious tone, "Something I like .... Impossible to be accepted by others. And anyone I like .... I will not have a happy ending. If the conscience you say is not a weakness, then there is no way this sect and yourself will end up so pitiful,"

Elder Meng Hao Niang looked at Xiao Shuxiang who was now starting to step out of his residence. He seemed to be holding firmly his pumpkin jug and seemed to be holding back an emotion.

"..............." Zhang Xiao Lian himself could see Xiao Shuxiang's gaze earlier. There was something hidden in the young man's speech, let alone it seemed-Chairman Meng Hao Niang became offended.

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