Master, don't tease me, you can't handle three of them.

Jing Shu had only taken a few steps when he saw Jing Ran standing under a tree not far away, looking at him without saying a word.

Jing Shu stopped in his tracks. A gentle breeze blew by, scattering petals from the branches and stirring up the hearts of the two people.

"Jing Shu, are you injured?"

Jing Ran broke the silence by speaking first; when he arrived, everything had already ended.

Jing Shu stood there blankly, while Xue Niang and Lin Yu Rou beamed with happiness amidst everyone's concern.

He saw Jing Shu glance at the bustling area after regaining his senses, but then quickly look away.

For some reason, my heart ached as if it were being pierced by countless tiny needles, and someone was pulling the thread off those needles, slowly drawing it out.

He desperately wanted to rush up and hug Jing Shu, pressing his head into his chest, not wanting him to look at others with that kind of gaze anymore. He didn't want to see that envious look on Jing Shu again.

However, Jing Shu turned around and saw him. Seeing that Jing Shu's eyes were full of him, Jing Ran slowly calmed down and finally asked only one question.

"Jing Shu, are you injured?"

Jing Shu didn't answer, but the look in his eyes gradually shifted from surprise to shock, anger, murderous intent, and self-reproach...

Countless emotions shifted in Jing Shu's eyes, ultimately turning into fear.

Fear? Jing Ran was puzzled. Why? He sensed that Jing Shu was afraid? Was he afraid of him?

"What’s wrong with you?

"Master?" Jing Shu opened his mouth slightly, his voice trembling as he uttered these two words.

"?" Jing Ran frowned slightly. "Master? Are you calling me?"

Seeing the confusion in Jing Ran's eyes, Jing Shu's heart sank into an icy abyss.

When Jing Shu first saw Jing Ran, he wasn't surprised at all. He knew that his master wouldn't obediently stay in the northern courtyard as he had instructed.

But when he saw his master waiting for him under the tree, he was overjoyed. His master was waiting for him, and he was also worried about him, asking if he was injured.

However, Xiao Jingshu, who had been chatting happily with the Nascent Soul, showed an expression of disbelief the moment he saw Jingran.

Then, upon hearing the Nascent Soul's question, Xiao Jingshu quickly came to his senses and hurriedly shouted at Jingshu.

"Jingshu! Listen to me! I saw Master's divine sense! Only a wisp! Master's divine sense is only a wisp! Something's wrong with Master!!!"

The Nascent Soul was also startled, but since it concerned his master, he forced himself to calm down and slapped Xiao Jingshu on the head.

"Calm down! Share what you see with us."

After being hit, the incoherent Jing Shu instantly realized what he had seen and shared it with Jing Shu and Yuan Ying.

From Xiao Jingshu's perspective, Jingran clearly resembled Hanluo, but Hanluo was like a phantom, seemingly there yet not there.

"I ate the Soul-Devouring Beast and can temporarily possess its abilities. It can see people's consciousness, and what you are seeing now is Master's consciousness!" Xiao Jingshu explained as he shared.

"How could this happen? Master's divine sense is almost gone! Who? Who did this?!" The nascent soul roared in the ancient jade, its body radiating uncontrollable killing intent.

Jing Shu finally understood what had happened. With his master's abilities, why would he need to hide his identity and not even have enough money for a bowl of wontons?

He had long known that something was wrong with his master, but he always chose to subconsciously ignore it. Because he wanted to approach his master in a way other than that of a disciple, hoping to make his master fall in love with him.

However, it was precisely because of his selfishness that this matter was not truly uncovered until Xiao Jingshu saw the problem with his master's divine sense.

Jing Shu suddenly recalled the unfamiliar look in his master's eyes when they first met, the anger when he learned that he also had the Drunken Immortal Wine, and the questioning he received after killing the evil cultivator.

"Since you know their purpose, why don't you send a message to your master and ask him to come over?"

A frightening thought arose in Jing Shu's mind, so he called out "Master." Then he stared intently at Jing Ran's face, not missing any change in his expression.

But just as Jing Shu had expected, Jing Ran looked puzzled when she heard it and asked if she was being called.

Jing Shu's heart instantly felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave.

Yes, his master didn't remember him at all, and didn't even know who he was.

"Why do you call me Master? Was I your Master before?"

Jing Ran wasn't stupid. Judging from Jing Shu's expression, he seemed to know something, but why did Jing Shu only reveal his original identity now?

"Jing Shu, speak." Jing Ran's question went unanswered, so his tone became slightly harsher.

"Master." Jing Shu lowered his eyes, concealing all his emotions. "This is not the place to talk. Let's go back first."

“Hmm.” Although Jing Ran didn’t like Jing Shu’s current behavior, Jing Shu was right; this was not the place to talk.

So, Jing Shu and the other man headed towards Xue Niang's residence, successfully avoiding Jing You who had come looking for them.

Upon arriving at Zuixianlou, Jingyou noticed that his brother was nowhere to be seen, so he asked Lin Yurou, who was cleaning up the mess.

Where's my brother? Have you seen him?

"Fellow Daoist Jing Shu?" Lin Yuru thought for a moment, "I just saw him leave with Fellow Daoist Jing Ran, but he seemed to be in a bad mood..."

After telling everyone that she was alright, Lin Yuru began searching for Jing Shu. After all, Jing Shu was her benefactor; without him, she and Xue Niang would surely have died tonight.

Lin Yuru had intended to properly thank Jing Shu, but then she saw him and Fellow Daoist Jing Ran leaving together. She decided not to go and disturb them. She could thank them tomorrow; why bother them now?

"What?! My brother is in a bad mood?" Jingyou was somewhat surprised.

Everything has been resolved, and things seem to be going well for his brother and Immortal Venerable Hanluo, so why is he in a bad mood?

"Yeah, the two of them were walking together but quite far apart, it looked like they were arguing," Lin Yuru explained.

She's a girl, so she's most sensitive to these subtle changes.

“Impossible! My brother would never argue with him!” Jingyou said firmly.

What a joke! He's seen firsthand how much his brother missed Immortal Venerable Hanluo in the Secret Realm.

He also embedded a small blue flower into his natal sword, which is his spine. Later, he secretly asked Xiao Jingshu and learned that the flower had been worn by the Immortal Venerable Hanluo.

Jingyou was shocked for a long time at the time, and he also realized how deep his brother's feelings for Immortal Venerable Hanluo were, and even a little bit... what was that word again? Right, yandere!

So it's not his brother arguing with Immortal Venerable Hanluo! There's only one possibility: his brother has been exposed, and Immortal Venerable Hanluo is angry that his brother lied to him.

Jingyou didn't explain to Lin Yurou, he just said he was tired and took his leave.

Let outsiders speculate about his brother's affairs. It seems he can't go back to the mansion. He'll have to find somewhere else to sleep tonight and go back tomorrow.