First Meeting with Zhongli

If your teacher was a god and was still alive, you would be just as nervous when facing Morax.

Especially when he looked at you with such a scrutinizing expression.

Bai Ye thought to himself:

But on the surface, he still put on an unruffled look and said:

"Nervous? How could I possibly be nervous?"

As he said that,

to prove himself, he reached out with his chopsticks to pick up a bird egg.

His chopsticks trembled several times, yet he failed to pick it up.

Hu Tao could not help smacking her forehead. She simply used her own chopsticks to pick it up and place it in Bai Ye's bowl.

"I really can't understand it. You've always dared to tease me when you see me, Hall Master, yet you're this scared when you see the Guest Official."

Hu Tao muttered softly.

At the same time, she looked at Zhongli and asked doubtfully, "You haven't been threatening Bai Ye behind the scenes, have you?"

"Zhongli, don't scare people. Look at what Bai Ye has become."

Seeing that Bai Ye was still so nervous, Hu Tao was speechless.

Wasn't it just Zhongli coming to see him?

Did he really have to be this scared?

You're really making me lose face.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit you're my friend.

She picked up several more pieces of meat and vegetables and placed them in Bai Ye's bowl, making sure he would not be too nervous to eat.

"Of course not."

Zhongli was somewhat speechless as well.

His identity definitely had not been exposed.

As Zhongli, he was merely a Guest Official of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. What was there to fear?

Especially since Bai Ye was a bounty hunter with quite impressive skills.

As for threatening him, that was even more out of the question.

In fact, forget threatening him—when Zhongli first saw Bai Ye, he had felt a strange sense of familiarity.

It was as though he were looking at one of his own nephews.

Right, he also knew some Adeptal Arts.

Zhongli asked Bai Ye, "I heard that you have also mastered some Adeptal Arts. Which Adeptus did you learn them from?"

"Zhongli, why are you asking so many questions?"

"Hall Master, I'm merely curious about Adeptal Arts. I wanted to know which Adeptus Mister Bai Ye trained under."

"No, I didn't learn from any Adeptus." Hearing Zhongli's question, Bai Ye gritted his teeth and said, "I accidentally found Cloud Retainer's Adeptal Arts and Art of Automata among the abodes."

He had decided to come clean. Whatever happened, happened.

But when he glanced at Zhongli, Bai Ye was still somewhat nervous.

And that feeling was not solely because of his teacher.

"Mm."

Zhongli indicated that he understood.

However, he could tell that Bai Ye's words were complete lies.

He was still too young. He simply could not hide things.

He was concealing something.

Zhongli pondered inwardly.

But he knew too little at the moment to make a judgment.

Nor would he force a confession out of him.

Especially since

Bai Ye had an excellent relationship with his own Hall Master.

And Zhongli felt no ill will toward Bai Ye at all.

Zhongli trusted his instincts. Looking at Bai Ye felt much like looking at Hu Tao—both gave him the feeling of looking at his own children.

He should help him and absolutely could not harm him, or he would regret it.

"Cloud Retainer's Adeptal Arts are easy to learn but difficult to master. There are still some matters you need to pay attention to..."

Zhongli gave Bai Ye a few pointers regarding the key points of cultivating Cloud Retainer's Adeptal Arts, and Bai Ye immediately felt enlightened.

He could only say that Rex Lapis truly lived up to his reputation; his skills were simply incredible.

Bai Ye felt that his cultivation of Adeptal Arts would advance even further.

Hu Tao, sitting nearby, was also shocked by Zhongli's extensive knowledge and could not help asking, "Zhongli, how do you even know about Adeptal Arts?"

"I've read a little about them in certain ancient texts."

Zhongli explained gently.

Hu Tao waved her hand.

"Fine, fine. You've read enough books. Come on, hurry up and eat."

Hu Tao immediately began eating with great gusto.

Zhongli quietly picked at the delicacies.

Meanwhile, Bai Ye silently finished the food in his bowl.

After finishing it, the tension inside him finally eased.

Then he looked up and saw Hu Tao picking food.

That stinginess over money surged up in him again.

This table of food was not covered by public funds. He could not bear to waste it.

Thus, Bai Ye hurriedly extended his chopsticks and began grabbing food as well.

Hu Tao stared at Bai Ye.

Fine, after I just helped you, you're actually repaying kindness with spite.

Bai Ye returned the same look.

One thing was one thing. I can make more inventions for you, but I won't yield a single bite of food.

As though they were competing, both of them ate far more than usual.

Zhongli stopped after eating some.

He merely watched the two of them trade chopsticks across the table and smiled.

These two were both quite interesting.

Seeing that the two were nearly finished eating,

Zhongli said to Hu Tao, "Hall Master, there are still matters at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. I should head back now."

"Go on, go on!"

Before Bai Ye could make his move, Hu Tao snatched up the last piece of Golden Crab. Victorious, she nodded proudly at Zhongli.

Zhongli stood up and left.

But before leaving, he did not forget to remind them.

"Hall Master, how many rooms did you reserve?"

"Two."

Hu Tao waved her hand as she replied.

Hearing Hu Tao say that, Zhongli felt relieved and turned to leave.

Before leaving Wangshu Inn, he looked up at Xiao.

He smiled but did not disturb him.

He was busy arranging his own death during the Rite of Descension. For now, it was best not to involve too many people.

The biggest reaction after eating too much was not wanting to move. All the blood had rushed to the stomach.

Bai Ye and Hu Tao finished eating at the same time. The two looked at each other.

They simultaneously stood up, staggered a step, and fell onto the bed.

"I'm so tired after eating my fill."

Bai Ye and Hu Tao patted their stomachs at the same time as they said it.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't copy the Hall Master."

Hu Tao spoke, but then she looked at where Bai Ye had fallen. It was exactly where her pillow was.

Her face flushed red.

How had he landed there so perfectly?

She could not help saying to him, "You've dirtied my bed!"

Bai Ye had nearly closed his eyes to sleep. Hearing that, he waved his hand and said:

"Well, you can sleep in the other room."

"No. If you do that, won't the bed and pillow I slept in earlier all become yours?"

"Then what should we do?"

"How about I kill you to silence you? Then both rooms will be mine!"

Hu Tao rolled over, stretched out her hands in claw shapes, and pounced at Bai Ye.

She immediately grabbed his ticklish spots.

Bai Ye was not afraid in the slightest.

He extended two fingers and poked toward Hu Tao's armpits.

The two laughed and wrestled into a tangled heap.

After fooling around for a while,

they separated once more and lay to one side, panting heavily.

"Forget it, I don't want to move anymore. Bai Ye, why were you so afraid of Zhongli today?"

Hu Tao was still very curious.

Taking advantage of Zhongli's departure, she hurriedly asked.

"Well, I have some secrets I can't tell anyone."

Bai Ye answered Hu Tao.

"You're just like Zhongli, always so mysterious."

Hu Tao's face fell when she heard that.

"Fine, if you don't want to say it, then don't. But..."

"You can't trick me!"

When she said those last four words, Hu Tao was incomparably serious.