The situation unfolded as the man had anticipated. With this explanation, You Siqi's expression immediately changed.
The man believed You Siqi had accepted his proposal and looked into his eyes with excitement.
However, before he could urge him further, You Siqi pouted, stroked his chin, and muttered, "I knew that fellow Liu Buli must have stolen the protagonist's halo. Otherwise, why would all the good things revolve around him?"
Shen Muzhi rarely had any use for an alchemy furnace. Since the man spoke so definitively, You Siqi naturally didn't consider the former.
But then again, obtaining a top-grade alchemy furnace at this time meant, without a doubt, that even the Heavenly Dao was helping Liu Buli, considering his solution for the dual soul issue.
You Siqi pondered this, shook his head slightly, and couldn't help but chuckle.
For a moment, he couldn't even tell if the Heavenly Dao detested Liu Buli or doted on him.
You Siqi's expression was so varied that the man, waiting for his answer, felt an unusual complexity in his mood.
After a long period of hesitation, the man ultimately prioritized his own safety. He spoke to You Siqi, urging him, "Immortal Master, if you think my proposal is good, let's hurry now! I'll lead you to the artifact, and it will be yours. You have so many companions around you; if everyone discovers it together, dividing it will be a difficult matter, won't it?"
In the man's view, companions were merely temporary allies for when the need arose.
When conflicts of interest emerged, there were no such things as companions. Everyone looked out for themselves, a principle he had adhered to for many years.
He didn't see anything wrong with his mindset.
And indeed, there was nothing wrong with it.
For the majority of cultivators, their thoughts mirrored his. Those who didn't possess such ideas often became cannon fodder, lacking even the qualification to strive alongside others.
With that said, the man expected You Siqi to readily agree to his proposal.
However, to his utter surprise, You Siqi remained silent for a moment, then turned to look him in the eye, pointed towards the ongoing fight, and asked, "Let me ask you a question. They are fighting fiercely over there, and I'm chatting with you here. Have you ever considered why this situation has occurred?"
The man was taken aback by this question.
Truthfully, in any team, there were always a few slackers. While others charged forward, these individuals would typically feign assistance from the periphery, doing nothing of substance.
If one were unlucky enough to find such a person as a teammate, they would usually part ways after a single collaboration. Some hot-tempered individuals might even deal with such teammates after finishing off the enemies, as their idleness during others' struggles was an eyesore and highly irritating in every sense.
Of course, no one would openly criticize such teammates during the heat of battle.
Everyone had to focus their entire attention on the fight. A moment's distraction could lead to death, so generally, no one would say anything until the battle concluded.
The man quickly formed a conclusion in his mind and immediately adopted a solicitous tone, trying to persuade You Siqi, "I understand, you're also afraid of those demonic creatures, aren't you? I think there's nothing wrong with fear, as it's a normal emotion. Your teammates are the abnormal ones; they dare to fight those demonic creatures directly. Don't they know how strong their regenerative abilities are?"
You Siqi shrugged.
His teammates were all protagonist-level figures. Dealing with mere demonic creatures was incredibly easy for them.
However, there was no need to explain this to a mere passerby.
Seeing his indifferent demeanor, the man couldn't help but continue his persuasion, "Let me tell you, no matter how good they seem to you now, they are all smiling tigers. Especially Liu Buli; he's utterly ruthless. If you keep chatting with me here and don't act, once he notices, your treatment will be the same as mine."
You Siqi couldn't help but laugh as he listened to his explanation.
Had Liu Buli's ruthlessness become a universally acknowledged fact in the cultivation world?
Suppressing his laughter, You Siqi couldn't help but ask curiously, "Hey, since you know Liu Buli, don't you know Shen Muzhi?"
"I do. I also know he joined the Pill Sect," the man nodded vigorously. "I also heard he previously married a useless wife, and that wife was a man. I didn't attend his Dao Companion ceremony, but I heard from others that the man had no cultivation, looked frail and sickly like a woman. Apparently, it was because of him that Shen Muzhi withdrew from the Medicine Valley, I..."
Mid-sentence, the man finally realized something.
He turned and scrutinized You Siqi from head to toe.
You Siqi was tall but extremely slender. He had the air of a scholar who couldn't lift anything heavy, as if a slight gust of wind could knock him to the ground.
Sensing the man's gaze, You Siqi immediately chuckled. He nodded to the other man and said, "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is You Siqi, Shen Muzhi's wife. The weakling you're talking about, understand?"