The impact of Ao Lie's existence being seen by others in the cultivation world was something Liu Buli understood better than anyone.
It was precisely because of this that he constantly warned Yun Xiang and Ao Lie, no matter where they went to play or what happened, Ao Lie's identity must never be exposed.
They must absolutely not let others in the cultivation world know that there was still a dragon alive in this world.
However, he never imagined that Ao Lie's eventual exposure would be to save him.
His mood became incredibly complex, and Liu Buli lowered his gaze, falling silent.
Seeing the troubled expression on his face, You Siqi hesitated before continuing to ask, "Do you have any thoughts on what we should do next? Should we directly find a way to snatch Lu Wuming back, or..."
"No, Wuming can take care of himself. That's what he promised me," Liu Buli gently shook his head.
Although his worry had not lessened at all, this was something they had agreed upon. Even if he put aside everything else, he had to resolve his own issues first before thinking about Lu Wuming.
Moreover, he was very clear in his heart now that his worry was meaningless. Even at their peak, they might not have been able to defeat the guards in the Ghost City. Now that the divine sword was not out, and Lu Wuming was likely still with the Ghost King, a direct confrontation was impossible. If they were to rescue him, they would definitely have to find a way to outsmart them.
Of course, with his current state of mind, he doubted he could come up with any useful plan.
So, after taking a few deep breaths, he raised his hand and pressed hard on his forehead twice. When he looked at Shen Muzhi again, Liu Buli hesitated before asking, "Given my current condition, I should be able to get out of bed now, right?"
"If I were you, I'd suggest lying down for a couple more days," Shen Muzhi replied helplessly. "Your physical condition is truly at its absolute worst. To put it bluntly, you've snatched your life back from the gates of hell. This isn't due to your mental state, but because the internal struggle between your two souls has exhausted your physical body to its limit. So, for your own sake, wait until the spiritual energy in your body flows smoothly before getting up; it's not too late."
Liu Buli gave an awkward smile and honestly lay back down.
Seeing him like this, Shen Muzhi understood what he wanted to do. He gestured outside with his chin and said, "Ao Lie's injuries are severe, but since they are already severed, they are actually quite easy to treat. He's not in any major trouble now. If you want to see him, I can have him come find you."
As expected of a friend he had known for so long, he could guess what he was thinking just by looking at his expression.
Without being polite to Shen Muzhi, Liu Buli nodded, a smile of helplessness on his face. He said, "Let's start by resolving this matter first. Please go and tell him."
Shen Muzhi waved his hand indifferently and turned to go into the courtyard.
The Dan Sect Master's small courtyard already had guest rooms. Although Ao Lie had his own living quarters in the Dan Sect, for the sake of safety and convenience of treatment, Shen Muzhi had taken it upon himself to let Ao Lie stay in the guest room of Liu Buli's courtyard during this period. Of course, Yun Xiang was with him. Even though Ao Lie said he didn't mind, the young girl had been taking care of him. It was evident that their relationship had also grown very deep over time.
Upon hearing the news of Liu Buli waking up, Yun Xiang and Ao Lie immediately came to his room.
The young girl was the first to run to Liu Buli's side. Seeing his pale complexion and haggard appearance, Yun Xiang's eyes immediately turned red. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she forcefully held them back from falling. With a pitiful and somewhat wronged look, Yun Xiang bit her lip and said, "Master, I'm sorry, I didn't bring Senior Brother out with me."
Completely taken aback that her first words were this, Liu Buli paused, then smiled gently.
This young girl's heart was truly too pure.
So pure and clean that one couldn't bear to say anything harsh to her.
Gently shaking his head, Liu Buli smiled and said, "It's not that you didn't bring him out; it's that I've already agreed with him. He's going to infiltrate the enemy's ranks to see what else we don't know about the Ghost City."
At first glance, this statement seemed plausible.
However, upon closer consideration, anyone with a bit of sense would find it odd.
After all, given the relationship between Liu Buli and Lu Wuming, how could he bear to let his silly disciple undertake such a dangerous task?
Unfortunately, in terms of intelligence, Yun Xiang was not much stronger than Lu Wuming.
So, after a moment of silence, she stared into Liu Buli's eyes and asked very earnestly, "Really? Master, but wouldn't that be too dangerous for Senior Brother? Senior Brother tends to let his guard down when he's alone. When I fought against those ghost tribes before, I also felt that they were very powerful. I'm afraid that if it's just Senior Brother alone, he might suffer."
He might not just "suffer."
If he could safely preserve his life and mental state, Liu Buli would already be immensely grateful.
However, if he said such things to Yun Xiang, it would only add to the young girl's anxiety and worry. Liu Buli did not want that to happen, so after a moment of silence, he just smiled at Yun Xiang and said, "Your Senior Brother is very smart. He has the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Besides, he's very capable, you know that. So, what else is there to worry about?"
Lu Wuming was indeed very smart.
The fact that Liu Buli could say this without blushing or his heart skipping a beat left everyone else stunned, not knowing how he could remain so calm.
What made everyone even more speechless was that after hearing her Master's explanation, Yun Xiang, after a moment of silence, revealed a look of understanding. Although still filled with worry, she at least nodded and said, "That's true. But Master, I'm still a bit worried about Senior Brother. If Senior Brother is undercover there, can he occasionally send us some news? At least it would put our minds at ease..."