"Senior brother, I see that you have a remarkable bone structure and a full celestial appearance, which are signs of great fortune and blessings. Surely, you are destined to achieve great things and stir up the winds and clouds. May I have the honor of making your acquaintance?"
"...And you, senior sister, with beauty that could sink fish and topple geese, eclipse the moon and shame the flowers, may I ask your age? What? Eighty? Impossible... Absolutely impossible, you look much younger than I do!"
The atmosphere in the room underwent a subtle change. The previously taut and tense situation also began to ease up a bit.
People watched Wang Xiu chatting happily with Shen Taixu, Fairy Zi Yan, and the others, their expressions growing odd. It was said that the Divination Sect of Sanqing was full of charlatans who deceived and swindled, always telling people they would face bloody misfortunes that required spending money to dispel. But now, it seemed the rumors might not be entirely true. This successor of the Divination Sect appeared to be quite amiable. Not only was he good-looking, but his words were also so pleasant to hear. It was completely different from the rumors!
Behind Wang Xiu, Xiang Tiange and the others had initially been prepared for a fight, but now they nearly threw out their backs from the sudden turn of events.
Li Zuoyue coughed twice and said, "Junior Brother Wang Xiu, you are as endearing as ever!"
Jiang Ling’er gazed at Wang Xiu’s silhouette, her eyes sparkling. "Senior brother treats others with sincerity, exchanging his true heart for theirs. Even when facing those who were initially ill-intentioned, he managed to remain neutral and uncomplaining, thereby winning them over. Perhaps this is what they call ’supreme goodness is like water, benefiting all things without contention’?"
Ji Zidian stomped her foot silently. Senior brother is so bad! He said those exact words to me before! Liar, big liar...
Watching Wang Xiu speak eloquently, making Fairy Zi Yan giggle with delight with eyes full of adoration, Qin Guangling couldn’t help but exclaim, "I have to say, Junior Brother Wang Xiu’s approach is the best choice. If we really started a conflict with this group, the trip to the Ancient Sanctuary would be disadvantageous for us, no matter the outcome!"
Xiang Tiange said in his booming voice, "Exactly. After all, this is the Immortal Dao Alliance. Turning adversaries into friends is the best possible scenario. It’s just a pity... that only Junior Brother Wang Xiu possesses this ability!"
Mo Wuwei added, "Junior brother is so amazing!"
For a moment, Wang Xiu seemed to transform into an ambassador of friendship, weaving through the crowd. He lavished praise upon everyone he met, complimenting everything from their appearance to their inner qualities, from their temperament to their legends. If there was nothing else to praise, he would praise their future potential, and he never used the same compliment twice.
His flattery made these favored children of heaven bloom with joy, their faces glowing with happiness as if nourished by sweet dew.
It feels wonderful! Truly wonderful! It turns out that being appreciated, admired, and finding a kindred spirit is such a joyful feeling. As the prodigies of the Great Blessed Lands, we are used to being fawned over daily. We’ve heard too much praise, even from our sect elders. Yet, we’ve always looked down on such compliments. But this Junior Brother Wang Xiu from the Sanqing Immortal Sect is different. His praise is spot-on and sincere, without the slightest hint of falsehood or pretense. And his words are so soothing to the ear! We wish we could befriend him for life, talk all night, and share the seasons with him. This is a true soulmate, a genuine soulmate!
Once people are pumped up with flattery, they tend to get carried away. When they’re carried away, it’s easy to puff them up even more. So the more they were praised, the higher their spirits soared; and the higher their spirits soared, the more they boasted.
"Junior Brother Wang Xiu! To be frank, I’ve shared these thoughts with many, but no one supported me. Only you... you didn’t treat me like a lunatic or a pervert!" a flamboyantly dressed man said through sobs and tears.
Wang Xiu looked at him seriously and replied, "Whether one is born male or female is decided by fate, but we cultivators are meant to defy destiny. So brother... ah, no, sister, you are not wrong. The world and its people are what’s wrong! You shouldn’t compromise! To be honest, I’ve met someone very similar to you, sister. That person was very open-minded, often singing and dancing in public as a woman, completely disregarding the world’s judgment!"
In the crowd, Qin Guangling’s warm smile suddenly froze.
The flamboyantly dressed man’s eyes widened, shining with an unprecedented light. "Is that true? Wonderful! I am not alone on my path! I am not alone! Hahaha... Junior brother, thank you! I understand now! Don’t worry, I will stick to my path. From now on... even if the whole world stands against me, I will be fearless. No matter the hardships or obstacles, I will sweep them all away!"
[Detected someone bragging nearby. Congratulations, Host, for gaining Mana +99!]
"Junior Brother Wang Xiu, you must be joking. I’m getting on in years; I can’t compare to those young girls anymore!"
"Sister, you’re being too humble. Look at your skin, your figure! No one would doubt you if you said you were in your early twenties! Besides, what’s wrong with being a bit older? A mature woman has her own unique charm. Especially for us cultivators, eighty is the prime age of a woman’s beauty!"
The woman giggled. "Junior brother, you’re so amusing. My daughter is already thirty!"
"...Er, please don’t take offense, but I’d bet your daughter couldn’t possibly be as beautiful or elegant as you are. Absolutely not!"
She giggled again. "I didn’t expect you to have such a sharp eye, junior brother. My girl... well, she didn’t quite inherit my looks. If she had just half of my youthful beauty, she would have certainly earned a spot on the Hundred Flowers Rankings!"
[Detected someone bragging nearby. Congratulations, Host, for gaining Mana +88!]
As this continued, Wang Xiu and the cultivators present chatted more and more cheerfully.