As a devoted reader, Liu Buli was well aware that Shen Muzhi had a younger brother.
The two brothers had a very close relationship. When the younger brother was little, their parents had passed away, and Shen Muzhi had raised him single-handedly.
In his younger brother's eyes, Shen Muzhi was his guiding star, his elder brother, his father, and also his master.
He admired Shen Muzhi greatly and obeyed him implicitly.
Therefore, the assurance Shen Muyan gave him sounded much more credible than Master Linkong's.
Curving his lips, Liu Buli narrowed his eyes, his expression towards Shen Muzhi unreadable. He said, "Physician Shen, your brother mentioned he knows about me and my disciple. I'm rather curious, what aspects does he know about? And how deeply? Could you tell me?"
Hearing his half-joking tone, Shen Muzhi felt that this fellow was definitely up to something mischievous again.
His lips twitched violently. Shen Muzhi cleared his throat and said, "I've said what needs to be said, and what shouldn't have been said has also been said. Si Qi told me that you considered my brother very reliable. So I thought, adding a little assistance wouldn't upset you."
You Siqi was right.
Liu Buli was indeed not angry about this matter, and he did trust Shen Muyan. After all, in the novel, Shen Muyan was even more reliable than Shen Muzhi, the philanderer.
He gently touched his nose with his hand, and Liu Buli shook his head, saying, "I'm merely a little touched. After all, you've given me too many surprises by coming to this martial arts competition."
"It's just returning a favor," Shen Muzhi shook his head and said, "If it weren't for Daoist Liu, I wouldn't have known about the existence of that dual cultivation manual. Without finding that item, Si Qi still wouldn't be able to cultivate, nor would she agree to be with me. In that sense, Daoist Liu has given me even more favor, so let's not talk about who helped whom."
Shen Muzhi's words were heartfelt.
He was indeed very grateful to Liu Buli, as the person he desired most might not be in his arms without Liu Buli's help.
He had always been a grateful person.
If these actions could satisfy Liu Buli, Shen Muzhi genuinely didn't mind expressing his gratitude more.
With the conversation reaching this point, Liu Buli stopped being overly modest and declined their offers. He directly took out a jar of wine from his Qiankun bag and placed it on the table. He smiled and said, "We've met, and that's fate. I'm in a good mood right now. Why don't you do me the honor and join me for a few drinks? This wine is brewed by my Dan Sect, and it tastes quite good."
Upon hearing this, Shen Muyan immediately took out two jars of wine from his Qiankun bag. He said, "I've brewed some wine when I have nothing else to do. The taste might not be great, but since we're all happy, I'd like to invite everyone to try it."
Liu Buli naturally agreed.
After a few rounds of drinks, their relationships had improved considerably.
Liu Buli's cheeks were slightly flushed. He patted Shen Muyan's shoulder and asked, "Brother, what possessed you to make such a choice? Why would you stay in a desolate place like Shuicheng? Even if you intended to start your own family and career, shouldn't you have chosen a starting point that's a bit higher to facilitate future development?"
Shuicheng, this place, whether in the novel or in the original Liu Buli's memory, held some significance.
However, its so-called fame was not in a good way at all.
This place was located in the Jiangnan region, which should have been prosperous and vast. But Shuicheng seemed to be abandoned by heaven. Crops were difficult to grow, and being surrounded by water on three sides made the entire city isolated from the outside world.
The novel offered no detailed explanation as to why Shen Muyan chose such a place to start his family and career.
Liu Buli had always thought it was merely to highlight Shen Muzhi's success through his failure.
But now that he had met the person in person, he realized he had been mistaken all along.
Shen Muyan was not a failure.
He had his own thoughts and ideas, and when he smiled, his eyes sparkled with light. This clearly showed a hopeful outlook on life, and he was definitely not the type to give up on himself.
As expected, after hearing Liu Buli's question, Shen Muyan immediately showed a confident smile. He said, "Actually, many people find my choice strange, but I personally see no problem with it. According to our ancestral records, our Shen family was originally from Shuicheng. Our ancestors lived very well in Shuicheng, and it was only later that the family gradually declined. Now that my elder brother is the Valley Master of Medicine Valley, I feel that the family's affairs have fallen upon my shoulders. I must work hard. Since our ancestors could make the Shen family prosperous and powerful in Shuicheng, I believe I can achieve it with perseverance."
Hearing him say this, Shen Muzhi, on the other hand, became even more enthusiastic. He couldn't help but put his arm around Shen Muyan's shoulders and excitedly asked everyone, "Isn't my brother particularly promising! His ideals, aspirations, and pursuits are simply more impressive than mine!"
If Shen Muyan was an older brother complex, then Shen Muzhi was definitely an obvious younger brother complex.
This was something everyone present knew.
So, after hearing his question, everyone smiled knowingly. Liu Buli nodded and said, "Then I'll look forward to it. Perhaps in my lifetime, I'll even see your Shen family ascend to the throne of the foremost noble family in Jiangnan."
Shen Muzhi shook his head and answered for his brother, "What's the point of being the foremost noble family in Jiangnan? In the future, we'll be the foremost noble family in the world."
He boasted without any hesitation.
Shen Muyan himself blushed a little at his words.
Waving his hand to signal Shen Muzhi to say less, fearing the conversation might veer into stranger territory, Shen Muyan thought for a moment and then spoke, "Actually, I came here this time for two reasons: one is to participate in the martial arts competition, and the other is that there are some matters in Shuicheng that I'd like to ask my elder brother to help me look into."
Hearing this, Liu Buli's mind raced. He immediately thought of the plot from the novel. He exchanged a glance with You Siqi, who nodded in agreement.
Liu Buli's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
He loved to get involved in such lively affairs!
So, without Shen Muyan needing to say any more, Liu Buli generously patted his shoulder again. He said, "Your brother specifically brought you to see me because he's still busy with the affairs of Medicine Valley. It's unlikely he'll have time to accompany you to Shuicheng anytime soon. However, I happen to have plenty of time, and my cultivation is also higher than your brother's. So, if you don't mind, how about I go with you to take a look?"