Do you really think you can get me with just a banana?

The two of them walked out of the lobby and onto an open space. Hu Qi glanced into the brightly lit lobby, making sure no one had followed him out before lowering his voice and saying, "There's nothing wrong over at Wuzijian. The monsters fled after they escaped, destroying only some mountain paths and ladders. Chenglan Town, on the other hand, has become a monster gathering place because it's closer. But the other day you arranged for us to block the plank road to the north and drive the monsters to the mass grave for a siege, thus avoiding casualties. I've always been curious, how did you come up with that idea?"

Yan Ruchen smiled and explained, "The east, west, and south sides are all surrounded by official roads, where imperial celestial beings often come and go for cultivation. The monsters in the Wuzijian hunting grounds are mostly domesticated and captured. They are smarter than wild ones and naturally know to avoid these troubled areas."

Hu Qi suddenly understood what was going on and rubbed his nose in self-mockery, "So that's how it is. You're really thoughtful. I hadn't thought of that."

Yan Ruchen patted Hu Qi's shoulder gently and said with a smile, "Everyone has his own strengths. You have made an invaluable contribution in leading the team to suppress the monsters this time."

Hu Qi laughed and waved his hands, saying, "Don't make fun of me. This was all arranged by you. Senior Brother Xu didn't even notice it. Who knew that it would be killed by a monster at the intersection of Chenglan Town and is still being kept in Yuchen Palace. Speaking of Yuchen Palace, Chenglan Town is where Yuchen Palace is located. I thought the hundreds of immortal sects would react quickly, but no one thought of blocking the plank road, which resulted in more monsters being killed. Speaking of Yuchen Palace, hey, you don't know until you go there. The young lady of this family is really a remarkable person. Immortal sects have been dealing with monsters since childhood. It's useless to encounter some disciples who can only run away when they see a monster they can't defeat. But his young lady actually fainted when a monster jumped in front of her. I had to carry her all the way, otherwise I wouldn't have a scar on my hand."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruchen remembered someone who had also fainted upon seeing a monster and was still crying in the water dungeon. He couldn't help but frown and shook his head helplessly, saying, "Maybe some people are born with a different fear of monsters, just like they are afraid of blood."

Hu Qi touched his nose and said, "They're all pretty useless anyway. But luckily you're here now. The Elders' Council already knows about your plan to siege the monsters in Chenglan Town. They're very impressed with you and might even betroth Si Hongyin to you in the future."

Yan Ruchen's expression calmed down slightly, and he said seriously, "We must be careful with words like these to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

Hu Qi laughed even more happily: "I see, do you really need to be so strict? Last time at Wuzijian, you saved my life. I will never forget this favor. Besides, you have been in Tianjian Sect for such a long time, your martial arts and character are obvious to all. How can you not be worthy of her?"

When Hu Qi was at the Wuzijian hunting ground, he was also besieged by several contestants. It was unknown which immortal sect those people came from. Their moves were insidious and they pressed on step by step. In addition to defeating him, they also wanted to rob Hu Qi of the valuable accessories and swords on his body. Several people against one person, they almost forced the exhausted Hu Qi off the cliff. Fortunately, Yan Ruchen came to the rescue and Hu Qi was saved from danger, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

After several rescues, Hu Qi's vigilance and hostility towards Yan Ruchen had long disappeared. He even felt convinced because he had made things difficult for Yan Ruchen many times, but Yan Ruchen repaid his grievances with kindness, and he took the initiative to make friends with Yan Ruchen.

This plotline, which takes up a full ten chapters in "Xian Tu Ni Cang Qiong," praises Yan Ruchen's noble character. And because nearly every immortal cultivation novel has this "supporting character who initially dislikes the protagonist ultimately succumbs to his charm and becomes his devoted henchman" plotline, the release of this story sparked another wave of criticism from "Japanese Girl Baka-chan."

Yan Ruchen nodded and said, "Let's go back to the dormitory and rest. Tomorrow morning we will set off for Chenglan Town to pick up Senior Brother Xu."

Hu Qi said "Hey" and jokingly said, "You, you're clearly so sleepy, yet you see the disciples discussing things privately and still want to intervene and help. If I hadn't come, would you really have sat there reading files all night?"

Yan Ruchen smiled but said nothing, avoiding the topic and said, "Where's Rongrong? I haven't seen her all day."

Hu Qi snorted disdainfully, "She's a coward, as timid as the daughter of the Palace Master of Yuchen Palace. Last night, she and her fellow disciples from Qionghua Peak went to move weapons. Curious about the Elder's lightning strike, they even thought of spying on him in the middle of the night. Who knew that the mourning hall was being set up to preserve the body, and before the coffin could be sealed, a group of people saw the Master's charred body after being struck by lightning. Three disciples fainted on the spot out of shock, and Chen Rongrong was so frightened that she had nightmares all night and hasn't woken up yet."

Upon hearing this, Yan Ruchen shook his head helplessly and patted Hu Qi's shoulder: "Forget it, let's go."

The next morning, before dawn and the roosters on the hillside crowed, Yan Ruchen hurriedly got up and went out. Before leaving, he did not forget to go to the bamboo house where Qing Yuanzi lived. After confirming the confusion in his heart, he got ready and resolutely went down the mountain to eliminate the monster.

Another beautiful day began. Guan Shanyu lay on the ground half-dead, staring at the rising sun and thinking that he was going to be beaten again.

Yan Ruchen went to Chenglan Town with Hu Qi and others early in the morning.

In the past year, Yan Ruchen's martial arts skills have improved by leaps and bounds in the Tianjian Sect, and everything has been going smoothly. At the same time, he is gentle to others, and has generously helped his fellow disciples when they went down the mountain to train many times. He is also humble and willing to share the credit. Gradually, he won the hearts of the people in the sect and slowly made friends in the sect.

But while they were friends, they were more like confidants, or a superior-subordinate relationship. When they were together, they followed Yan Ruchen's instructions and always put him first, even though this seemed a bit strange. However, Yan Ruchen had never made friends since childhood, and when he saw Liu Qi and Guan Shanyu's group, they were also the main focus. So, he felt that the way the group of people around him interacted with him was reasonable.

As for those disciples who disobeyed him because they thought he had gained a foothold in the sect by clinging to Si Hongyin, Yan Ruchen didn't care much. He had confidence in himself and knew that sooner or later he would win everyone's recognition with his own strength.

The group galloped on their swords, arriving at Chenglan Town in just half an hour. Along the way, they could see scattered mortals, carrying their luggage and families, trudging along the road, elderly and children in tow, their steps hurried. The scene was desolate. It seemed that quite a few demonic beasts had escaped from Wuzijian this time, causing severe damage to the local people's livelihood.

Yan Ruchen and his companions didn't dare delay and headed straight for the Yuchen Palace in the heart of Chenglan Town. This town, a strategic point on the border road, was large, bustling with commerce and a bustling population, often featuring foreign merchants and foreigners. However, due to the recent rampage of demonic beasts, the usually bustling town had become much less crowded. Aside from a few immortals handling demonic beast carcasses on the long street, ordinary people remained largely indoors.

The group arrived at Yuchen Palace and, upon reaching the entrance, were dazzled by the two golden couplets hanging on the door. The couplets, framed in gold against a black plaque, shone brightly in the sunlight, blinding everyone. A closer look revealed thirty-two characters engraved on the couplets.

First couplet: The dragon soars in the prosperous times, the wind and clouds change, the golden splendor shines on the edge of the sun

Second line: The phoenix dances over the splendor of China, the jade palace and the beautiful building reach the horizon

Horizontal banner: Blessings fill the universe

Yan Ruchen stared at the words in silence. This couplet employed rather exaggerated and pompous vocabulary. The first line, "Dragons soar in a prosperous age, winds and clouds shift," depicts the magnificent spectacle of a flourishing age, with dragons soaring and clouds rising, and the ever-changing winds and clouds. Meanwhile, "Golden splendor reflects the sun's edge," uses the magnificent spectacle of golden splendor to contrast the magnificence of the rising sun, signifying a prosperous and radiant family. The second line, "Phoenix dances across the divine land, showcasing its splendid landscape," depicts a phoenix dancing gracefully across the divine land, presenting a beautiful painting of splendid mountains and rivers. "Jade palaces and jade towers reach the horizon," further exaggerates the residence's opulence, as if connected to a fairyland on the horizon, implying a happy life and lofty aspirations for its inhabitants. The horizontal scroll, "Blessings fill the universe," summarizes and elevates the contents of both lines, implying abundant blessings pervading heaven and earth.

Hu Qi sneered, "This old Palace Master really thinks he's a phoenix that roams the heavens and earth. He wrote something like this and thought he was incredibly powerful. Who knew he couldn't even defeat a few ordinary monsters?"

Several other disciples snickered at the side, but Yan Ruchen didn't respond. He only said, "Be careful with your words and actions. I came here for other important matters."

Hu Qi suppressed his laughter and shouted towards the palace gate, "A disciple of Tianxuan Dao Sect is here. Please inform the Palace Master."

Guarding the door were two handsome disciples, both with thick lips and white teeth, and adorned with jade crowns and pink scarves, a truly striking appearance. Seeing several young men standing outside, dressed in white robes with crane designs embroidered on their chests, the two disciples recognized them as disciples of the Tianxuan Dao Sect. Without delay, they immediately entered the palace to pass on the message. Not long after, a plump, round figure hurried out from the gate.

"My fellow monks, you are finally here!"