Hearing Liu Buli's question, Lu Wuming's expression instantly turned serious. He directly raised his long sword, stared coldly in Shen Muzhi's direction, and assumed a posture ready to attack at any moment.
Seeing his reaction and hearing Liu Buli's words, Shen Muzhi couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. He said, "Sect Leader Liu, I don't recall doing anything to offend you recently. Can you stop saying such things? Look at your disciple's demeanor. It's not just Siqi who's scared; I'm scared just watching him."
Liu Buli burst into laughter.
He reached out and patted Lu Wuming's shoulder, signaling him to relax a little. Unfortunately, his gesture had no effect. Lu Wuming remained vigilant, his demeanor unchanged.
Liu Buli glanced at him and simply gave up. Shrugging at Shen Muzhi, he said, "Dr. Shen, you see, it's not my fault. Wuming has a strong hostility towards you. Although I don't know why, Wuming is still young, so please don't hold it against him."
Shen Muzhi didn't even want to retort to that.
What did he mean by "Wuming is still young"?
The boy was almost as tall as him and definitely more muscular. How could he be considered "young"? One shouldn't be this protective of their own.
However, given Liu Buli's personality, both he and You Siqi were quite accustomed to it. After a moment of silence, Shen Muzhi decided to drop the topic. He cleared his throat and stated his purpose directly: "Since Sect Leader Liu mentioned the Duan Tian Pavilion, you should know more about what happened than I do. I'm not here to vanquish demons and uphold righteousness. I just want to ask you as a friend, what is the truth of the matter?"
Liu Buli shrugged.
If Shen Muzhi wanted to ask, he was naturally willing to tell.
He laid everything out plainly and then, propping his head on his hand, asked with a smile, "How is it? Is it completely different from what's being spread outside?"
Shen Muzhi nodded with a wry smile.
For the past three days, a rumor had been circulating throughout the cultivation world. To summarize, it claimed that Liu Buli, driven by lust, had attempted to molest the young master of Duan Tian Pavilion, failed, and subsequently killed his father, son, and their entourage.
Not only that, but he hadn't spared the common folk passing through the town either. He was truly an unrepentant villain, an outright demon.
"The news has been out for three days, and some hot-headed, misguided righteous individuals have already begun responding to Duan Tian Pavilion's call, intending to come to this city to bring you to justice," Shen Muzhi said. "I also received their invitation. Perhaps in their eyes, I'm just as clueless as they are, which is why I received such a summons."
This statement was originally just self-deprecating.
But to his surprise, Liu Buli nodded in strong agreement. "What you said is very accurate. I actually thought you were that kind of person, which is why I asked you at the beginning if you had come specifically to bring me to justice."
Shen Muzhi: ...
His expression turned somewhat grim. He glanced back at You Siqi beside him, hoping to find some comfort.
However, after a moment of silence, You Siqi actually agreed with Liu Buli's assessment. He stroked his chin and said, "It's not entirely unreasonable for Daoist Liu to think that. After all, in the novel, you're portrayed as someone who enjoys doing good deeds and punishing evil. If it were in the past, you would have joined them in such a situation, wouldn't you?"
Was that right?
Shen Muzhi frowned.
This question was rather difficult for him.
If it were in the past, upon hearing such news, he would indeed have gone to see what was happening. However, while investigating, he would also have tried to uncover the truth of the matter, not acted rashly...
Shen Muzhi scratched his head.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had indeed been a complete fool before.
But that was in the past. At least he wasn't now, and that was enough.
With this thought, Shen Muzhi's mindset eased slightly.
He touched his nose, somewhat concealing the embarrassment on his face, and continued, "That was all in the past. Things are different now. Or rather, after spending more time with you all, my perception of good and evil seems less absolute than before."
Because he could feel that, from a certain perspective, Liu Buli and Lu Wuming were certainly not good people.
But they were his friends.
Many of the morally gray things they did could no longer be clearly distinguished as black and white in his eyes, as they once were.
Liu Buli shook his head and smiled at You Siqi. "Great writer You, your protagonist isn't as pure as before. Are you sad?"
"He wasn't completely pure to begin with; it's just that the dark filling has been exposed. What's the big deal?" You Siqi mumbled.
Shen Muzhi didn't hear clearly and looked back at him.
You Siqi immediately waved his hand. "I didn't say anything. Don't look at me!"
Liu Buli stroked his chin, deep in thought.
You Siqi was too lazy to explain. He said, "We're here to help you. Can you stop shipping us, okay?"
Liu Buli chuckled and shook his head. He then looked in Shen Muzhi's direction, his eyes curved into a smile. "Physician Shen wants to be a bad guy with me? I can't help but feel a little excited thinking about it."