CHAPTER 2: CALLING BROTHER

Xiao Si lowered his voice even further: "And there’s a nest of dead mice, white ones..."

Master Yan Mingxin glanced at Yan Yuning, pulled out a talisman from his robe, and handed it to Xiao Si: "This is an exorcism talisman. Burn it and bury the ashes under the jujube tree in the courtyard. It will protect you from any evil spirits."

Xiao Si was both shocked and overjoyed: "Master, you're really amazing, you even know there's a jujube tree in the master's yard!"

Master waved his hand and walked off. Yan Yuning followed him closely, deep in thought.

"Master, was it that white mouse demon who killed this family?" Yan Yuning hesitated before asking.

Master Yan Mingxin squinted slightly, his gaze deep and distant. He spoke slowly, his voice low and steady: "Yuning, you must understand that the truths of this world are often not as simple and direct as they appear. What you see on the surface is often what others want you to see. So, when you walk the Jianghu in the future, make sure to keep your eyes wide open and look at things with your heart. Never be fooled by appearances, or you may fall into danger."

Yan Yuning nodded seriously.

His thoughts drifted back to the day he met Lang Tu.

That day, Yan Yuning had been carrying a basket of herbs up the mountain. The sky, which had been clear just moments ago, began to darken, and soon a torrential downpour started. Yan Yuning had no choice but to take shelter in a nearby cave. After starting a fire, Lang Tu appeared, bouncing in with a dogtail grass in his mouth.

Yan Yuning looked up at the sound of footsteps and saw a young man wearing black boots and a blue robe, with sharp brows and bright eyes. The dogtail grass in his mouth swayed as he hopped toward him.

He gave Lang Tu a slight nod, as a form of greeting.

Lang Tu plopped down onto a large stone directly across from Yan Yuning, staring at him intently.

The young man had fair skin, and his features were delicate and elegant. His eyes were clear, as if they could speak.

Lang Tu just kept staring at Yan Yuning.

Yan Yuning felt extremely uncomfortable under the gaze, so he looked away. He tried to steady himself, but couldn’t help sneaking a glance back, only to find the other person still staring at him…

Embarrassed, Yan Yuning stood up and walked to the entrance of the cave, looking up at the sky. He stretched out his hand to test the rain, which had seemed to lessen. He then put his basket back on his back and decided to brave the rain and head home.

After all, being stared at like that was making his face burn!

He thought to himself, Why am I acting like this? I’m not usually like this!

Just as Yan Yuning took a cautious step forward, he suddenly felt the heavy basket stop dead in its tracks, pulling him back.

Someone’s holding onto my basket!

He quickly turned around and saw the tall, imposing figure of Lang Tu standing behind him, one hand gripping the edge of the basket.

Lang Tu’s eyes were deep, and his lips curled into a faint smile. He slowly spoke, "Don’t be afraid, little gentleman. I won’t eat you."

Yan Yuning blinked in shock, finding himself face to face with the man, so close that they were barely half a foot apart. He froze for a moment, not knowing what to do. His face flushed even deeper.

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He stammered, trying to explain, but only kept waving his hands: "N-no... no, that’s not..."

Before he could finish, Lang Tu suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance between them once again.

He smiled teasingly and said, "Oh? Not? Could it be that you want me to eat you?" His words lingered as he leaned in closer.

At this moment, Yan Yuning’s heart began to race, and his breath became shallow. His face burned, and a wave of heat spread across his body.

"You... Let go!" Yan Yuning mustered up all his courage to shout, but his voice trembled.

Hearing this, Lang Tu smiled faintly, and his strong grip on the basket suddenly loosened.

Caught off guard, Yan Yuning felt his body lurch forward, almost losing his balance and falling. He barely managed to stabilize himself, standing up with difficulty.

He took a deep breath, slowly letting it out, trying to calm the rapid beat of his heart.

Now he wanted to turn and look at the man, but he held back. After all, the other man had almost caused him to fall just moments ago.

His footsteps were flustered and awkward as he hurriedly left, as though something terrible was chasing him.

Watching Yan Yuning’s retreating figure, Lang Tu’s lips curled into a sly smile. Silly little thing.

At that moment, a sudden scream pierced the air. Lang Tu’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly looked in the direction of the sound.

To his surprise, Yan Yuning had slipped and fallen face-first into the muddy ground.

His basket had tipped over, spilling the herbs everywhere. Whether it was rainwater or tears, Yan Yuning’s face was smeared with wetness, making him look rather ridiculous.

"Little gentleman, did you slip?" Lang Tu asked with feigned innocence, unable to hide his amusement.

Yan Yuning heard the voice, and looked up, glaring at Lang Tu.

He was both embarrassed and angry, but the pain in his body kept him from getting up immediately. He gritted his teeth and tried to push himself up, only to slip again, this time falling harder.

Out of instinct, he reached out for a nearby branch to steady himself. However, when he looked down, he froze in horror—beneath the branch was a steep cliff!

No, I can’t believe I forgot about this!

The branch was slippery from the rain. Yan Yuning gripped it desperately, trying to use all his strength to climb up, but the wetness made it impossible to gain traction, and he began to slide downward.

He felt his heart leap into his throat as he realized he was about to fall.

At that critical moment, a powerful hand suddenly reached out and firmly grabbed his wrist.

Yan Yuning’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked up, startled.

The rain had stopped, and the dark clouds had begun to disperse. A golden sun slowly emerged from behind the clouds.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting soft beams of light, one of which landed on the young man who had reached out to help him—Lang Tu.

The sunlight bathed him in a warm glow, and he looked almost angelic, with a faint smile on his face.

"Silly little thing," Lang Tu said, grinning. "Call me ‘brother,’ and I’ll pull you up."