Published: March 3, 2025
Chapter 584: New Means
However, Liu Yu felt no fluctuations in his heart in response to such a beautiful face.
He casually glanced at the other person, devoid of any desire, as if what stood before him was merely a skeleton wrapped in flesh and blood.
The stone gate had not yet opened, but the two had already seen each other, yet neither initiated a greeting.
The first person to speak often falls into a disadvantage in terms of momentum.
Although they had agreed to trade the "Dream of Shadows Heart Sutra," the price had not yet been discussed during that brief moment in the duel of magic.
Situated in the Transverse Mountain Range, where spiritual stones were difficult to replenish, Liu Yu naturally wanted to conserve some spiritual stones, thus he needed to firmly grasp the initiative.
As for the awkward silence?
He had no worries about that; Mu Yunyan had come to him, which meant she had already lost half the psychological battle.
From then on, it was merely a matter of retreating one step or two.
The initiative was firmly in his hands from start to finish.
And if the other party did not take the initiative, Liu Yu also had ways to resolve it, whether it was bringing up old matters or finding other reasons; everything was too simple.
No cultivator could get something for nothing from him, Liu Yu!
In the perception of a golden core cultivator, the one or two breaths of time while the stone gate opened felt exceedingly long.
"Friend Qingyang."
Seeing the stone gate fully open, Mu Yunyan could no longer hold herself back and smiled as she spoke.
With her words, the earlier contest came to an end.
Everything was unspoken.
"Fairy Mu, please come in."
"The cold room is quite simple; I hope the fairy does not mind."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yu smiled and led her into the main hall, personally pouring a cup of spiritual tea.
"Not bad, Friend Qingyang's tea skills seem to have improved."
After a moment of silence, Mu Yunyan gathered her sleeves and raised the teacup, gently taking a sip as she spoke.
"The fairy is over-praising me."
Liu Yu silently chuckled within while maintaining his usual expression.
Then, they began to chat casually about the events that had transpired along the way.
Both understood without saying that they would not directly mention the trade, engaging in hypocritical pleasantries instead.
"Friend Cang Tower has not arrived in time; I'm afraid his situation is dire."
Halfway through the tea, Mu Yunyan suddenly sighed softly, setting down her teacup as she spoke.
As she did so, a hint of inexplicable sadness flashed in her eyes, and her demeanor seemed genuine.
"It is indeed a pity about Friend Cang Tower."
"However, our journey is inherently perilous; life and death are quite ordinary, so the fairy must not let this affect herself."
"Thinking about how to proceed next and how to preserve one's life is the most pressing matter."
Seeing this, Liu Yu did not concern himself with the truth of her feelings and offered some comforting words.
After a brief pause, he jokingly said, "The world is unpredictable; even for someone like me, it would not be surprising to fall on the next journey."
"At that time, the fairy and the others must carry on well!"
When it came to the life and death of teammates and the difficulty of the future, their tones became much more genuine, as if they truly meant to reveal their hearts.
Liu Yu could somewhat understand Mu Yunyan's sadness.
However, it might not be because of Old Daoist Cang Tower himself, but rather a sentiment of shared grief over a fallen companion.
This time it was a teammate who died; what about next time or the time after that? Would it be their turn?
Of course, Liu Yu could not be certain whether there was some sincerity in this; after all, human nature is complex.
Even the most hypocritical cultivator could not be entirely insincere;
even the most utilitarian cultivator could not attribute everything to utilitarian motives;
even a cultivator with a dark heart could not have only darkness within.
At the very least, he would not hope that everyone but himself is hypocritical, utilitarian, and dark!