Chapter 180 - Resemblance

This side of Qingyi looked so pitiful that it was almost endearing. Chu Qianqian couldn’t help but chuckle, a soft laugh escaping her lips. Even Chu Ziyu had a slight glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

“Oh, come on, you two! Are you teasing me again?”

Still a little worried that his exaggerated expressions might cost him fans or something, Qingyi could only widen his eyes dramatically while waving his arms in an exaggerated manner, trying his best to seem aggressive. Unfortunately, what Qingyi didn’t realize was that with his current makeup, his actions didn’t come across as threatening at all. In fact, Chu Qianqian and Chu Ziyu were more concerned that he might trip over his own feet and fall.

After exchanging a few quick jabs, Qingyi’s attention was suddenly drawn to the hot water bag in Chu Ziyu’s arms. His eyes instantly lit up, and the corners of his lips curved upward, as if he had just discovered something fascinating. He exclaimed, “Qianqian, look at this little cat! It looks just like Ziyu!”

At his words, Chu Ziyu’s brows furrowed instantly. He pressed his lips into a line and fixed his gaze on the yawning white cartoon cat printed on the hot water bag, selectively ignoring its bright pink color. After scrutinizing it for a moment, he still couldn’t figure out in what way he resembled the cat.

Just as he was about to say something, Chu Qianqian spoke first, her tone filled with surprise. She nodded in agreement, saying, “Now that you mention it, it does look a bit like him. You’ve got a good eye, Qingyi-I didn’t even notice!”

“Hehe, right?” Qingyi’s voice brimmed with unabashed pride. “I’m talking about the eyes. Look at the eyes-don’t they look especially alike?”

Before Qingyi could finish his sentence, both Chu Qianqian and Chu Ziyu instinctively lowered their heads to examine the little white cat’s eyes. While Chu Qianqian nodded repeatedly in agreement, Chu Ziyu stared at them for ages and failed to find any resemblance. How could his eyes look like those of a cartoon cat?

Chu Ziyu’s confusion couldn’t have been more obvious, but Qingyi and Chu Qianqian shared a knowing look, maintaining an unspoken but perfectly synchronized sense of humor. Neither of them pointed out the specific resemblance they had noticed-the aura of detached indolence that lingered between Chu Ziyu’s brows at times. It made him resemble a proud, aloof cat that couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to anyone.

The brief break came to an end quickly, and it was time for the next scene to start filming.

This scene was also an outdoor shoot. The location wasn’t far-just at the foot of Changyun Mountain. The houses had already been constructed by the Film Crew, perfectly replicating the “dilapidated village” setting described in the script. By the time Chu Ziyu and the others had finished their rest, the extras playing the villagers were already in full costume and makeup, ready for the cameras to roll on this next scene.

In Ling Xiao, it was mentioned that before the protagonist Lin Zisu became a disciple of Ling Jianfeng, he was just an ordinary boy living in a mountain village near the Xuanming Sword Sect in Dongli. Back then, his name was Lin Su, and he was an orphan raised on food offered by the villagers.

Perhaps it was because the circumstances were too harsh that, in Dongli, the pursuit of immortality was a dream everyone harbored but few dared to chase. Even in the Eastern Wasteland, where the gap between cultivators and ordinary people wasn’t as insurmountable, joining an immortal sect and seeking the path to eternal life was a privilege largely reserved for the wealthy and influential-or, rather, an opportunity only they could afford to pursue.

When one has the means to attempt something, it’s called trying. When one lacks the means, it’s nothing more than a whimsical fantasy.

Lin Su’s father had once been one of those who whimsically pursued immortality, an act that seemed utterly absurd to the common villagers. When Lin Su was still too young to form lasting memories, his father had abandoned both him and his mother to seek the path of immortality.

And so he left. Years passed, and he never returned. Everyone said Lin Su’s father had long since died, perishing on the treacherous road to immortality. Among those who believed as much was Lin Su’s mother-a timid and frail woman who, after only a few years, cast her young and bewildered son aside to chase after the very husband who, according to the rumors, had already met his end on the immortal’s path.

From that moment on, the words “seeking immortality” became all too familiar to Lin Su. Everyone around him told him the same thing: not to follow in his father’s footsteps, not to fill his head with far-fetched fantasies that ended in nothing but death, bringing ruin not just to himself but to his family, too.

How much of all this Lin Su internalized, he couldn’t quite say. But, at the very least, it had some effect. Until that fateful day arrived, Lin Su had never imagined he would one day, like his father, set foot on that same path.

“Senior brother, senior brother.” A girl’s playful voice broke through the woods, her tone chirping like a spoiled little bird, eager to win affection with her coquettish demeanor. Ye Qingxuan pointed to the small mountain village not far ahead and said sweetly, “This place is so tiny, and there aren’t many people. You lot will surely finish quickly without needing my help, right?”

Those playful opening lines were directed at Fu Zichu, but her final, sharper sentence was clearly aimed at the group following behind. As Ye Qingxuan spoke the last sentence, she made sure to glance at the others with a fierce warning in her eyes: “Just try saying ‘no,’ I dare you!”

As the only female cultivator among the group-and the sole daughter of the Elder with the Sword-Ye Qingxuan was naturally the center of everyone’s attempts to curry favor. Even though it was obvious to everyone that she simply wanted to slack off and take a break, no one dared to provoke her by uttering a single word of refusal. The forest quickly grew lively with a chorus of voices, all eagerly pleading with Fu Zichu on Ye Qingxuan’s behalf.

“Senior sister Ye is absolutely right. Such a minor task doesn’t require her to step in. We can handle it ourselves.”

“Exactly, exactly. Senior sister Ye has already helped out plenty of times along the way. She must be exhausted. It’d be best to let her rest for a while.”

“Junior sister Ye’s strength and endurance aren’t like ours-she’s far more delicate. She must be tired by now. A short break would do her good, especially since we have more traveling ahead. How about we just let her rest here for a while?”

The suggestion to “rest here” struck a nerve with Ye Qingxuan. She turned sharply to see who had spoken those exceedingly agreeable words. Unsurprisingly, it was none other than her clever senior brother, Yun Zifei.

Technically speaking, Yun Zifei was referred to as her senior brother, but in reality, he was the same age as Ye Qingxuan-and, strictly speaking, even two months younger than her. However, because the ranking system on Ling Jianfeng was strictly determined by strength, Yun Zifei, despite his playful and somewhat unscrupulous personality, was still slightly more diligent in cultivation than Ye Qingxuan. His skill surpassed hers by a small margin, which had earned him the title of senior brother.

Catching the faint glimmer of approval in Ye Qingxuan’s eyes, Yun Zifei raised an eyebrow and shot her a quick smile. With a look that seemed to say, “Don’t worry, leave it to me,” he stepped forward, casually slinging an arm over Fu Zichu’s shoulder. In a low voice, he murmured, “Senior brother, go easy on junior sister. She just had to fend off some reckless scoundrel harassing her back in Qiong City. She’s in a foul mood and doesn’t want to deal with mortals right now. Better to let her sit this one out before she loses her temper and takes it out on someone else.”