Chapter 42
"Brother, just thinking about it terrifies me."
At this point, Shen Shu'an paused for a second, then looked at Qiao Pingsheng with sympathy: "I don't need to tell you what happened after that, do I?"
Qiao Pingsheng's face was ashen, and he remained silent for a long time. After several seconds, he finally nodded slightly.
"Back then, in the first month after my master accepted me as his disciple, I made a mistake while practicing the cultivation technique, and my qi and blood reversed, requiring me to recuperate for half a month."
"Half a month later, he taught me martial arts, but I was stabbed in the toe by a magic sword. Since the ten fingers are connected to the heart, I had to lie in bed for three days."
"My toe had finally healed, but when I was making chicken soup to nourish myself, I accidentally ate some poisonous mushrooms and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea for more than two days."
"And then, and then, one after another..."
As Qiao Pingsheng spoke, a wave of sadness welled up in his heart, and he choked up, unable to speak.
He never told anyone about his hardships and tears. Over the years, he had often been away from home to gain experience, because he didn't want to burden the people around him anymore.
Especially his master, who is quite old and still stuck at a bottleneck and unable to break through.
He was genuinely worried that if he still couldn't break through after ten years, he might have to bury him himself and smash the pot in the ground.
Thinking of this, Qiao Pingsheng was truly touched to a sore spot, and tears streamed down his face.
Shen Shu'an: "?"
Shen Shuan was deeply moved as she looked at Qiao Pingsheng, who was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face.
It's not easy, it's not easy for anyone, it's truly heartbreaking to hear and tearful to see.
Hey bro, can you wait a minute before you cry? I haven't finished talking yet.
But just then, a system notification sounded silently—
[Ding, host, we have detected that the male protagonist, Qiao Pingsheng, is recalling the past and is deeply saddened. His emotional value has increased by 1000 points.]
Shen Shuan remained silent for two seconds, shutting her mouth that was about to offer words of comfort, and sighed with her head tilted back and eyes closed: "Birth."
I'm talking about myself.
So Shen Shu'an waited for Qiao Pingsheng to cry for a while.
Seeing how heartbroken he was, he even offered understanding and comfort, saying, "Men, it's okay to cry, it's not a sin..."
"Who says men don't easily shed tears? It's just that they haven't reached the point of true heartbreak!"
"If he doesn't cry, and you don't cry, who will?"
"Crying is just a way to release emotions."
Qiao Pingsheng: "..."
He raised his head and silently looked at Shen Shuan. For some reason, he suddenly didn't feel like crying anymore.
A strange sense of shame caught up with him.
Xuan Yi: "..."
Xuan Yi remained silent all day long.
He silently looked at Shen Shuan and quietly handed Qiao Pingsheng a handkerchief.
Qiao Pingsheng accepted it and thanked him in a low voice, "Thank you, fellow Daoist."
Xuan Yi shook his head: "It's nothing."
Shen Shuan looked at the two of them in harmony, feeling a little puzzled.
But she didn't pay much attention and finally picked up the topic she hadn't finished talking about.
"Actually, Brother Qiao, you don't need to be so sad. I hadn't finished speaking yet."
What I'm trying to say is, have you noticed that you're incredibly unlucky, but only the people around you are unlucky?
Qiao Pingsheng had originally stopped crying, but after hearing Shen Shuan's words, he couldn't help but tear up again.
He looked up at Shen Shu'an with hazy eyes: "Sister, are you saying I'm a jinx?"
"No, no, no."
Shen Shu'an quickly denied it, "No, I meant to say, isn't this a kind of luck in itself?"
"If someone is unlucky to a certain extent, isn't that a kind of blessing in disguise?"
Qiao Pingsheng: "?"
If you don't have something to say, you don't have to say it. Don't make things up here.
Xuan Yi: "?"
What kind of abstraction is this now?
Seeing their confusion, Shen Shu'an sighed in exasperation and explained, "Think about it carefully, does what I said make sense?"
"Brother Qiao was so unlucky, yet he still survived. Isn't that a kind of good fortune?"
"Looking at it from another perspective, being born without parents and still surviving to this day, and even being taken in as a disciple by an elder of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, one of the ten major sects."
"After only ten years of cultivation, he has reached the peak of the Golden Core stage. He is also constantly blessed with benefactors. Although he seems to be in a dead end at every turn, he always manages to find a way out."
Shen Shu'an was very serious. She looked at Qiao Pingsheng earnestly and said, "Brother, think about it carefully. Am I right?"
"If your reputation as an unlucky star hadn't spread back then, your master wouldn't have become curious enough to take you as his disciple and embark on the path of immortality!"
Qiao Pingsheng was puzzled, Qiao Pingsheng was dazed, and a glimmer of hope appeared in Qiao Pingsheng's eyes.
A few minutes later, his eyes filled with hope, he looked at Shen Shu'an seeking confirmation: "So, sis, I'm actually not unlucky, but rather very lucky?"
Shen Shuan shook his head: "No, brother, it's true that you're having bad luck, we can't fool ourselves into it."
"However, your good fortune outweighed your bad luck, which is why you have experienced these past few decades."
"Ultimately, the process was completely wrong, but the result was completely right!"
Qiao Pingsheng froze abruptly, muttering Shen Shu'an's last words incessantly.
"The process was all wrong... but the result was all right?"
As Qiao Pingsheng muttered to himself, his experiences over the past decades flashed before his eyes.
In the end, he had to admit that Shen Shuan was right!
Instantly, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and he excitedly said to Shen Shu'an, "Sister, I understand!"
"Are you trying to say that I should view fortune and misfortune as interdependent, so as long as I'm alone, I won't implicate anyone?!"
However, faced with Qiao Pingsheng's excitement, Shen Shu'an slowly shook his head again and said, "No, brother, you've misunderstood!"
"What I mean is, have you ever thought about changing careers?"
"Or, join some special departments."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Pingsheng frowned again, pondering for several minutes before still remaining puzzled. "Sister, please explain in detail; I really can't understand it."
Shen Shu'an, a master swordsman, stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said calmly to Qiao Pingsheng, "I'll show you a path to heaven; I wonder if you'd be willing to listen?"
Qiao Pingsheng immediately stood up, took a few steps forward, and looked at Shen Shu'an's back with great excitement: "Sister, please tell me quickly, I will definitely remember every word!"
Shen Shu'an nodded in satisfaction, turned around to meet Qiao Pingsheng's eyes, and slowly said, "Have you ever heard of Infernal Affairs?"
Qiao Pingsheng was stunned for a moment, then gasped.
He struggled internally, trembling slightly as he said, "This...this means I'm to become...a spy for the enemy sect?"
Shen Shuan raised his hand and patted Qiao Pingsheng's shoulder. Seeing the other's hesitation, he affirmed, "Brother, take a different path. In less than five years, you'll definitely rise steadily."
"Ten years later, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion will return, making all those who once looked down on you unable to see your true worth again!"
"Because they can only look up to you."
Qiao Pingsheng stood there, stunned, his body and mind trembling. Several minutes later, he came to his senses.
He looked at Shen Shu'an, his emotions overflowing, and he was incredibly grateful to her: "Sister!"
Shen Shu'an responded with the same deep affection: "Brother!"
Qiao Pingsheng's eyes were bloodshot. At this moment, he only felt that he had made a mistake and that he had gone down the wrong path all along!
Qiao Pingsheng's face was ashen, and he remained silent for a long time. After several seconds, he finally nodded slightly.
"Back then, in the first month after my master accepted me as his disciple, I made a mistake while practicing the cultivation technique, and my qi and blood reversed, requiring me to recuperate for half a month."
"Half a month later, he taught me martial arts, but I was stabbed in the toe by a magic sword. Since the ten fingers are connected to the heart, I had to lie in bed for three days."
"My toe had finally healed, but when I was making chicken soup to nourish myself, I accidentally ate some poisonous mushrooms and suffered from vomiting and diarrhea for more than two days."
"And then, and then, one after another..."
As Qiao Pingsheng spoke, a wave of sadness welled up in his heart, and he choked up, unable to speak.
He never told anyone about his hardships and tears. Over the years, he had often been away from home to gain experience, because he didn't want to burden the people around him anymore.
Especially his master, who is quite old and still stuck at a bottleneck and unable to break through.
He was genuinely worried that if he still couldn't break through after ten years, he might have to bury him himself and smash the pot in the ground.
Thinking of this, Qiao Pingsheng was truly touched to a sore spot, and tears streamed down his face.
Shen Shu'an: "?"
Shen Shuan was deeply moved as she looked at Qiao Pingsheng, who was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face.
It's not easy, it's not easy for anyone, it's truly heartbreaking to hear and tearful to see.
Hey bro, can you wait a minute before you cry? I haven't finished talking yet.
But just then, a system notification sounded silently—
[Ding, host, we have detected that the male protagonist, Qiao Pingsheng, is recalling the past and is deeply saddened. His emotional value has increased by 1000 points.]
Shen Shuan remained silent for two seconds, shutting her mouth that was about to offer words of comfort, and sighed with her head tilted back and eyes closed: "Birth."
I'm talking about myself.
So Shen Shu'an waited for Qiao Pingsheng to cry for a while.
Seeing how heartbroken he was, he even offered understanding and comfort, saying, "Men, it's okay to cry, it's not a sin..."
"Who says men don't easily shed tears? It's just that they haven't reached the point of true heartbreak!"
"If he doesn't cry, and you don't cry, who will?"
"Crying is just a way to release emotions."
Qiao Pingsheng: "..."
He raised his head and silently looked at Shen Shuan. For some reason, he suddenly didn't feel like crying anymore.
A strange sense of shame caught up with him.
Xuan Yi: "..."
Xuan Yi remained silent all day long.
He silently looked at Shen Shuan and quietly handed Qiao Pingsheng a handkerchief.
Qiao Pingsheng accepted it and thanked him in a low voice, "Thank you, fellow Daoist."
Xuan Yi shook his head: "It's nothing."
Shen Shuan looked at the two of them in harmony, feeling a little puzzled.
But she didn't pay much attention and finally picked up the topic she hadn't finished talking about.
"Actually, Brother Qiao, you don't need to be so sad. I hadn't finished speaking yet."
What I'm trying to say is, have you noticed that you're incredibly unlucky, but only the people around you are unlucky?
Qiao Pingsheng had originally stopped crying, but after hearing Shen Shuan's words, he couldn't help but tear up again.
He looked up at Shen Shu'an with hazy eyes: "Sister, are you saying I'm a jinx?"
"No, no, no."
Shen Shu'an quickly denied it, "No, I meant to say, isn't this a kind of luck in itself?"
"If someone is unlucky to a certain extent, isn't that a kind of blessing in disguise?"
Qiao Pingsheng: "?"
If you don't have something to say, you don't have to say it. Don't make things up here.
Xuan Yi: "?"
What kind of abstraction is this now?
Seeing their confusion, Shen Shu'an sighed in exasperation and explained, "Think about it carefully, does what I said make sense?"
"Brother Qiao was so unlucky, yet he still survived. Isn't that a kind of good fortune?"
"Looking at it from another perspective, being born without parents and still surviving to this day, and even being taken in as a disciple by an elder of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, one of the ten major sects."
"After only ten years of cultivation, he has reached the peak of the Golden Core stage. He is also constantly blessed with benefactors. Although he seems to be in a dead end at every turn, he always manages to find a way out."
Shen Shu'an was very serious. She looked at Qiao Pingsheng earnestly and said, "Brother, think about it carefully. Am I right?"
"If your reputation as an unlucky star hadn't spread back then, your master wouldn't have become curious enough to take you as his disciple and embark on the path of immortality!"
Qiao Pingsheng was puzzled, Qiao Pingsheng was dazed, and a glimmer of hope appeared in Qiao Pingsheng's eyes.
A few minutes later, his eyes filled with hope, he looked at Shen Shu'an seeking confirmation: "So, sis, I'm actually not unlucky, but rather very lucky?"
Shen Shuan shook his head: "No, brother, it's true that you're having bad luck, we can't fool ourselves into it."
"However, your good fortune outweighed your bad luck, which is why you have experienced these past few decades."
"Ultimately, the process was completely wrong, but the result was completely right!"
Qiao Pingsheng froze abruptly, muttering Shen Shu'an's last words incessantly.
"The process was all wrong... but the result was all right?"
As Qiao Pingsheng muttered to himself, his experiences over the past decades flashed before his eyes.
In the end, he had to admit that Shen Shuan was right!
Instantly, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and he excitedly said to Shen Shu'an, "Sister, I understand!"
"Are you trying to say that I should view fortune and misfortune as interdependent, so as long as I'm alone, I won't implicate anyone?!"
However, faced with Qiao Pingsheng's excitement, Shen Shu'an slowly shook his head again and said, "No, brother, you've misunderstood!"
"What I mean is, have you ever thought about changing careers?"
"Or, join some special departments."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Pingsheng frowned again, pondering for several minutes before still remaining puzzled. "Sister, please explain in detail; I really can't understand it."
Shen Shu'an, a master swordsman, stood up, put his hands behind his back, and said calmly to Qiao Pingsheng, "I'll show you a path to heaven; I wonder if you'd be willing to listen?"
Qiao Pingsheng immediately stood up, took a few steps forward, and looked at Shen Shu'an's back with great excitement: "Sister, please tell me quickly, I will definitely remember every word!"
Shen Shu'an nodded in satisfaction, turned around to meet Qiao Pingsheng's eyes, and slowly said, "Have you ever heard of Infernal Affairs?"
Qiao Pingsheng was stunned for a moment, then gasped.
He struggled internally, trembling slightly as he said, "This...this means I'm to become...a spy for the enemy sect?"
Shen Shuan raised his hand and patted Qiao Pingsheng's shoulder. Seeing the other's hesitation, he affirmed, "Brother, take a different path. In less than five years, you'll definitely rise steadily."
"Ten years later, the Holy Son of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion will return, making all those who once looked down on you unable to see your true worth again!"
"Because they can only look up to you."
Qiao Pingsheng stood there, stunned, his body and mind trembling. Several minutes later, he came to his senses.
He looked at Shen Shu'an, his emotions overflowing, and he was incredibly grateful to her: "Sister!"
Shen Shu'an responded with the same deep affection: "Brother!"
Qiao Pingsheng's eyes were bloodshot. At this moment, he only felt that he had made a mistake and that he had gone down the wrong path all along!