It was eagerly waiting for someone to praise its "achievements" in leading Ye Fan on his adventures.
As a result, everyone's conversation revolved entirely around Pang Bo's foundation and Li Qingshan's arrangements, leaving Pang Bo, the "great contributor," out in the cold.
"Woof woof!" Black Emperor barked in dissatisfaction, stood on its hind legs, and forcefully interrupted the conversation with its distinctively raspy voice:
"What are you saying! What about me, the Emperor?!"
A Big Black Dog dog stood up on its hind legs, wearing flowery shorts that it had somehow acquired, holding a spirit fruit in its mouth, and speaking in human language; it was none other than the Black Emperor.
It scurried up to the table, pushing past Pang Bo, and started shouting.
" Little Yezi was able to reunite with you all so quickly? This achievement deserves a prominent place on my record!"
"If it weren't for me leading Little Yezi through countless trials and tribulations, exploring hidden wonders and mysteries, would he have had this opportunity today?"
Beside it stood a chubby, smiling Daoist priest, dressed in a tattered robe, whose eyes occasionally gleamed with a thieving light— Duan De.
He chuckled:
" Boundless Heaven, Fellow Daoist Black Emperor is absolutely right."
However, my skills in feng shui site selection and seeking good fortune while avoiding misfortune along the way have also played a significant role!
Especially the treasures found several times in ancient tombs—no, I mean, in the cave dwellings of ancient sages—those were all real, tangible benefits!
As he spoke, he subconsciously touched the area of his " Bitter Sea," where something "good" was clearly hidden.
Seeing the two lovable characters, Black Emperor and Duan De, everyone couldn't help but smile, making the atmosphere even more relaxed and pleasant.
During their brief reunion, they had already adapted from their initial shock to the Black Emperor's shamelessness and Duan De's extremely unreliable but surprisingly capable nature.
On the contrary, I feel that having them around adds a lot of "color" to my life.
"Woof woof! Speaking of that kid, Li!"
Black Emperor suddenly interrupted, a human-like expression of displeasure appearing on his dog face.
"He certainly ran fast! He returned to Jade Pool and abandoned me and Ye Fan, saying he was going to 'preach' to that Jade Pool Holy Maiden?"
Hmph, in my opinion, she's just prioritizing women over friends!
He must have seen how beautiful that saintess was and used that as an excuse to sneak off for a secret rendezvous!
It stood upright, pointed with its paws towards the main peak of Jade Pool, and said in a sour tone:
"You didn't see it. When that Jade Pool Holy Maiden came to pick him up, the look in her eyes... tsk tsk, I've lived this long, what haven't I seen?"
There's definitely something fishy going on!
Duan De chuckled to himself, adding fuel to the fire:
" Boundless Heaven, Fellow Daoist Black Emperor, I find your words quite reasonable."
The Holy Son and Holy Daughter are a match made in heaven; it's perfectly normal for them to exchange ideas and discuss matters privately. It's all perfectly normal!
He winked and gave me a knowing look.
Ye Fan glared at the two clowns with annoyance. "Boss Li in public, brat Li in private":
"You two, stop talking nonsense!"
Teacher Li and Fairy Lin are from the same school, so it's perfectly normal for them to exchange Daoist teachings.
Although he said that, his words didn't seem very confident.
Pang Bo and the others were hearing about this for the first time and all showed expressions of curiosity.
After all, Lin Qingyao, the Jade Pool Holy Maiden, was extremely famous in the Eastern Wasteland and was the dream fairy of countless young cultivators.
The crowd was laughing continuously because of the banter between Black Emperor and Duan De.
As gossip about the Holy Son and Holy Daughter swirled in Bagua air, a clear and melodious greeting faintly drifted from the bluestone path leading to Zixia Peak outside the courtyard.
The voice approached from afar, carrying utmost respect:
"Greetings, Holy Son!"
"Your Highness, are you well?"
The sound, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly shattered the noisy atmosphere in the courtyard.
The laughter and chatter ceased abruptly, and all eyes turned to the courtyard entrance.
The smiles on Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others faded, replaced by a solemn expression of expectation and respect.
Black Emperor immediately swallowed the rest of his teasing remark, instinctively straightening his posture in an attempt to appear more "dignified."
Duan De quickly straightened his tattered Daoist robe, and the nonchalant expression on his face became much less pronounced.
"It's Teacher Li!"
Zhou Yi said in a low voice, and stood up first.
Without a word, everyone immediately stood up.
Pang Bo, Zhang Ziling, Wang Ziwen, Lin Jia, Li Xiaoman, and Ye Fan together quickly walked to the courtyard gate to greet them.
Even the Black Emperor flicked its tail and followed, with Duan De close behind.
As soon as they stood at the entrance of the courtyard, they saw a female disciple of Jade Pool, who was responsible for patrolling Zixia Peak, standing respectfully by the roadside.
At the end of the path, a tall, dark figure walked unhurriedly, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
The person who arrived was none other than Li Qingshan.
He was still dressed in that deep, dark black robe, the hem fluttering gently in the breeze. His posture was as upright as a pine tree, and his handsome face remained unchanged.
However, his aura was more restrained and profound than before, like a vast starry sky, seemingly calm, yet containing boundless mysteries.
He didn't exude any powerful aura as he walked, yet he naturally became the center of attention in this world.
Every step seemed to resonate with some kind of Daoist rhythm, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived at the courtyard gate.
" Teacher Li!"
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and the others greeted him respectfully in unison, bowing deeply in greeting.
Their respect for this old friend, who was both a teacher and a friend, and their greatest support in this unfamiliar star field, came from the bottom of their hearts.
Li Qingshan stopped in front of the door. His gaze swept calmly over the familiar faces before him, faces bearing the marks of time.
He paused briefly on Ye Fan and Pang Bo, and also noticed Black Emperor and Duan De behind them, trying their best to appear "well-behaved".
He nodded slightly, with a hint of gentleness, and raised his hand in a gesture of support.
No need for such formalities.
I heard you were having a gathering here, so I came to check it out.
Get up, all of you.
His voice was calm, yet it carried a reassuring power.
Everyone then straightened up.
Pang Bo smiled warmly and excitedly, scratching his head as he said:
" Teacher Li, it's so great that you could come!"
We were just talking about you!
He smiled faintly and stepped into the courtyard.
As he stepped in, the entire courtyard seemed to brighten up a bit.
The dappled shadows cast by the ancient sal tree seemed to sway gently with his steps, as if paying homage to the owner of this place.
As Li Qingshan stepped in, the others followed in single file.
He simply stood there quietly, and everyone's eyes were involuntarily drawn to him.
Upon seeing Li Qingshan's gaze sweep over them, Black Emperor and Duan De immediately bowed respectfully.
"Your Highness, Holy Son!"
" Old Li, Boss Li!"
Black Emperor subconsciously shrank his neck, while Duan De immediately put on a sanctimonious appearance.
Li Qingshan's gaze swept calmly over everyone present, and he nodded slightly as a greeting.
He walked slowly to the head of the table and sat down, waving his hand. "Please sit down, everyone."
His arrival seemed to inject a stabilizing force into this reunion.
The crowd sat down as instructed, their eyes filled with awe and anticipation as they looked at him.
However, Li Qingshan did not immediately get to the main topic. His calm and unwavering gaze first fell on the somewhat timid Black Emperor.
A very faint, almost imperceptible smile seemed to curve at the corners of his lips.
"Just now outside the hall, I seemed to overhear some 'senior sages' discussing how this Holy Son 'values women over friends'?"
Li Qingshan's voice remained calm, but the content of his words stunned everyone present except for Black Emperor and Duan De.
Then he looked at the dog with a strange expression.
Black Emperor's face froze instantly, its black fur almost standing on end. It gave a dry laugh, its tail involuntarily...
"Woof! Uh, Li boy,"
No, Your Highness, you must have misheard!
You must have misheard!
My reverence for you is as boundless as a celestial river, how could I possibly utter such treasonous words?
It must be that unscrupulous Daoist priest who slandered me!
Without hesitation, it shifted the blame to Duan De, who was standing next to it.
Duan De's fat face twitched, and he immediately jumped up, pointing at the Black Emperor with a pained expression:
"Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable!"
Fellow Daoist Black Emperor, how dare you slander someone's innocence out of thin air?
I clearly heard you, you Big Black Dog, talking to His Highness the Cricket Saint about "secret meetings" and "shady dealings."
This humble Daoist priest vehemently defended His Highness the Holy Son, stating that the Holy Son and Holy Daughter were engaged in a normal exchange of ideas!
He turned to Li Qingshan, a fawning smile plastered on his face, and rubbed his hands together, saying:
"Your Highness, please understand. I, Duan De, have always held Your Highness in high esteem. How could I possibly associate with this black dog?"
This matter has absolutely nothing to do with me!
Watching this ridiculous scene of the two dogs shifting blame and desperately trying to distance themselves, and recalling their "all-knowing" faces when they were gossiping behind each other's backs, it's hard not to think about how they acted.
Ye Fan, Pang Bo, and other visitors from Earth couldn't help but lower their heads, their shoulders trembling slightly as they suppressed their laughter.
Even the usually aloof Li Xiaoman had a slight smile playing on her lips.
Li Qingshan looked at them, not angry, but instead gently shook his head, his tone carrying a rare hint of teasing:
Oh? Really?
But I seem to have also heard that a "master of formations" once said he wanted to traverse the Jade Pool to study the mysteries of the Western Emperor's formation patterns?
And there's this "archaeological expert" who seems quite "concerned" about the mausoleum of my ancestors in Jade Pool?
Upon hearing this, Black Emperor and Duan De were completely dumbfounded.
The Black Emperor did indeed boast about breaking the Jade Pool Formation, and Duan De, also caught up in his professional instincts, coveted the "history" buried in this ancient holy land of Jade Pool.
How did the person in question find out about all these private "grand ambitions"?
"A misunderstanding! A huge misunderstanding!"
Black Emperor was so anxious he was jumping up and down.
"This emperor admires the supreme array techniques of the Queen Mother of the West Dowager and wishes to learn from them—yes, to learn from and draw upon them!"
Duan De was also sweating profusely and quickly said:
"Your Highness, I have endless reverence for the sages of Jade Pool throughout the ages, and I have absolutely no disrespect for them!"
Exploring historical sites is purely academic research, academic research indeed!
Seeing the usually lawless and swindling Yi Gouyi so flustered and embarrassed in front of Li Qingshan, everyone could no longer hold back and burst into laughter.
Pang Bo laughed the loudest, clutching his stomach and slamming his fist on the table;
Zhou Yi, Zhang Ziling, and others couldn't help but chuckle;
Zhou Yi, Zhang Ziling, and others couldn't help but chuckle;
Lin Jia and Li Xiaoman laughed so hard they were shaking.
The air in the courtyard seemed to be filled with a cheerful atmosphere.