If Li Qingcheng had made this request before confessing her feelings, Liu Buli might have seriously considered it.
After all, Li Qingcheng was incredibly powerful.
Moreover, her personality suited Liu Buli's tastes perfectly. With a little guidance, she might have become as strong as Yun Xiang. At least from that perspective, Liu Buli had held some expectations for her.
Unfortunately, that confession had shattered all of Liu Buli's gentleness.
How could he possibly bring a girl who had confessed to him back to his sect? If Lu Wuming found out about this, no matter how he responded to her, Lu Wuming would surely tear her to shreds, wouldn't he?
And it wouldn't just be Li Qingcheng who would suffer; he himself, the object of her affection, would also face undeserved disaster.
Thinking of Lu Wuming's疯癫 (fēngdiān - mad, frenzied) appearance when he was jealous, Liu Buli felt an uncontrollable ache in his lower back.
He had already sacrificed enough; he truly didn't want to double down.
Therefore, stopping here was the best course of action for both of them.
With this thought, Liu Buli shook his head without hesitation and said, "Li Qingcheng, I've already told you, my disciple is extremely possessive. If you followed me back, you might be killed by him halfway there. Moreover, I like him very much, so even if he killed you, I wouldn't be angry with him. Don't you think your death would become meaningless in that case?"
Li Qingcheng blinked.
After a moment of silence, she said, "Liu Buli, has anyone ever told you that you're quite heartless when you speak?"
"Heartlessness is a good thing; it prevents others from harboring lingering affections," Liu Buli replied. "I'll take that as a compliment. After all, being heartless is a way of being responsible to my disciple."
Li Qingcheng lowered her eyes. "You really do like him a lot."
"I told you, he is the person I like most in this world. Or you could say, he is the meaning of my existence in this world," Liu Buli smiled and said, "If my disciple were gone, my life would have no value. Everything about me follows my disciple, and it's the same for him. I enjoy our relationship, and I believe his thoughts are the same as mine."
In plain terms, their relationship did not allow for any third-party interference.
Li Qingcheng heard him clearly, and by the end, she no longer asked Liu Buli to take her away. She merely sighed softly and murmured, "I'm actually a little envious of your disciple..."
Liu Buli did not respond to this statement.
After all, Li Qingcheng's affection for him, in his view, was perhaps merely a form of imprinting, a "chick-hatching complex."
It wasn't true love.
Li Qingcheng didn't truly understand him as a person.
If, one day, this woman discovered that he was actually an utterly wicked villain, perhaps this so-called affection would vanish like smoke, disappearing without a trace?
However, no matter what, it had nothing to do with him.
With this thought, Liu Buli had already brought her back to where Lu Wuming and the others were. Seeing Liu Buli walk ahead, merely using spiritual energy to tow Li Qingcheng behind him, Lu Wuming's expression finally softened slightly. He smiled at Liu Buli and said, "Master, it's good that you know how to act with discretion."
Liu Buli was momentarily puzzled.
You Siqi proactively explained, "After you left, we found a way out not long after. So, we discussed it a bit and guessed how you would bring her back."
Saying this, You Siqi paused briefly and then stated directly, "I guessed you would carry her back, and our Mu Zhi thought you would carry her on your back. Only Lu Wuming said you wouldn't touch her with even a finger. I didn't realize it, Liu Buli, you have such strong survival instincts?"
Liu Buli: ...
It had to be said, he was worthy of being his fellow countryman.
Furthermore, since they were playing the same role, You Siqi truly understood what was going on in his mind better than anyone else.
Clearing his throat, Liu Buli felt a bit embarrassed.
He gestured to Li Qingcheng behind him and said, "Her condition is very poor right now; she can't walk on her own. Would you like to take over from me? You Siqi, you have spiritual energy now, so it wouldn't hurt to try it out, would it?"
Hearing him say this, You Siqi seemed eager to try.
Shen Mu Zhi's expression immediately darkened. He walked to Li Qingcheng's side and took out two pills from his Qiankun bag. He first placed the pills in the woman's hand, then took out his silver needles from his Qiankun bag.
Li Qingcheng obediently took the pills and then allowed Shen Mu Zhi to insert needles all over her body. After completing the treatment, Shen Mu Zhi withdrew his needles and gestured to her with his chin.
Li Qingcheng tentatively tried to move her spiritual energy, and to her surprise, she found that her spiritual energy had largely recovered by about a third. She felt strength returning to her body. Although she couldn't perform any offensive techniques, walking normally was definitely not a problem.
Upon reaching this conclusion, Shen Mu Zhi nodded with great satisfaction and said, "Since Miss Li is no longer in any trouble, you can walk by yourself. If you feel unwell at any time, you can call me. I am a physician, and I can offer you some assistance."
These words were spoken beautifully.
However, upon careful consideration of their meaning, it was clearly telling Li Qingcheng to walk on her own if she could, and absolutely not to bother You Siqi by asking him to carry her.
Li Qingcheng was not foolish; she understood this implication. Moreover, the intimate demeanor between Shen Mu Zhi and You Siqi was utterly unmasked, so with just one glance, Li Qingcheng drew a conclusion and asked, "Physician, you and that fellow Daoist... you are also Dao companions, right?"
"That's right," Shen Mu Zhi replied with a smile. "Do you also think we two are a good match?"
Li Qingcheng: ...
Not really, I just feel like I'm redundant right now.
With a strained smile, Li Qingcheng nodded. After thanking them again, they headed towards the exit in the direction You Siqi remembered.
Liu Buli had initially thought that as long as they moved quickly, they wouldn't encounter any further trouble.
However, when they reached the entrance and saw the group of cultivators battling ferocious beasts, Liu Buli felt an immense headache.
And those cultivators, upon seeing them, seemed to have found saviors. The one leading them shouted, "Daoist Liu, you've arrived! Quickly help us slay these evil creatures; we can't hold on much longer!"