{"id":7386,"date":"2025-08-14T08:44:38","date_gmt":"2025-08-14T06:44:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7386"},"modified":"2025-08-14T08:44:38","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T06:44:38","slug":"the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot-chapter-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2025\/08\/14\/the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot-chapter-21\/","title":{"rendered":"The Second Male Lead\u00a0Fled On The Spot &#8211; Chapter 21"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Two people had just stepped within the town\u2019s limits when someone dressed in the Wanbao Trading Company attendant\u2019s attire hurried over and called out to Xie Liufeng: \u201cSenior Chu, Elder Chen is causing a commotion. Our guild leader heard that you\u2019ve returned and sent me to invite you over to take a look.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Elder Chen was the elder sent from the Lingxiang Sect this time. He had been detained since the incident a couple of days ago, but everyone had been busy handling matters related to the secret realm and hadn\u2019t paid much attention to him.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng pondered for a moment, then nodded: \u201cGot it, I\u2019ll go right away.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui looked up, puzzled, and said to him: &#8220;Chu?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng\u2019s expression was natural: \u201cWhen traveling, isn\u2019t it reasonable to use a false name?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui recalled how he had once used a fake name in front of Qin Yuwen and nodded in agreement.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Suddenly, he reached out and caught a stone thrown at him from the side. Following the direction it came from, he saw Cheng Yu and Ming Xiao standing not far off, furtively waving at him.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui didn\u2019t quite understand why the two were being sneaky in broad daylight, so to protect his own reputation, he cautiously pretended not to recognize them.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng also noticed the two from afar, reached out to pat Chu Xinghui\u2019s head, and smiled as he said: &#8220;Go talk to them first, and when I get back, we\u2019ll go home together. How about that?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui hesitated for a moment, still a bit annoyed by those two, but obediently nodded.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">After Xie Liufeng left, Cheng Yu and Ming Xiao, who had been lurking nearby, finally dared to approach.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Seeing Chu Xinghui, Ming Xiao immediately complained: &#8220;Why did you take so long to come out? Too slow.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui explained: &#8220;Something came up inside, it took some time.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao snorted and hesitantly asked: &#8220;By the way, inside that wooden building, did you encounter anything you couldn\u2019t handle?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui finally caught his meaning: \u201cYou\u2019re concerned about me?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao jumped up immediately and firmly denied: &#8220;Who cares about you? I\u2019m just curious, that\u2019s all!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu mockingly laughed at him: \u201cYeah right, wonder who\u2019s always snooping for news every now and then.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao was unhappy with Cheng Yu\u2019s sabotage and immediately stomped on him twice.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u201cI\u2019m fine,\u201d Chu Xinghui looked at both of them seriously and said: &#8220;Anyway, thank you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao awkwardly waved his hand, refusing the thanks: \u201cNo need to thank us. We didn\u2019t do anything anyway, it was your brother who handled it all.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu remembered the real reason for seeking him out and pulled out his storage pouch: \u201cEverything we got from the secret realm has been sorted out. Let\u2019s divide the loot.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui nodded and began counting their gains with him.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao watched them for a while, then couldn\u2019t help but start organizing his own things too.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">When they were almost done, Cheng Yu curiously asked: &#8220;Hey, by the way, what cultivation level is your brother exactly?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui honestly said: &#8220;Don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Speaking of which, Cheng Yu suddenly recalled some overlooked doubts: \u201cWait, you told me before you came from the Mortal Realm. How do you have a brother with such high cultivation?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He immediately speculated wildly about his companion\u2019s background: \u201cCould it be&#8230; you were originally born in the cultivation world but were unfortunately lost in the Mortal Realm, and only after starting cultivation and returning to the cultivation world did you find your family?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui was silent for a moment.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">In a sense, Cheng Yu\u2019s guess was pretty close to reality.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Though it was unrelated to the initial question.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He sighed and decided to clarify: \u201cThat\u2019s easy to explain.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">The two thought they were about to hear some strange and complicated story, so they listened attentively.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui continued honestly: \u201c&#8230;Because he\u2019s not my brother.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Ming Xiao: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui gave a simple explanation: \u201cHe just likes to make up lies to fool people sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Cheng Yu: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">*<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Inside the temporary Wanbao Trading Company base.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Elder Chen stood in front of the hall, demanding justice righteously: \u201cYou detained us without reason for several days. Isn\u2019t it time to give the Lingxiang Sect an explanation?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling lifted the teacup beside him, calmly sipped some tea, and smiled with feigned kindness: \u201cElder Chen, you must be joking. The accident in the secret realm is obvious to all. Everyone has been busy handling follow-up matters for days, with few leaving the site. How can you say it\u2019s targeting only the Lingxiang Sect?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng walked in from outside and casually added fuel to the fire: \u201cMoreover, the Lingxiang Sect is undeniably connected to this incident. Our invitation to Elder Chen to be our guest here is also for the sake of the Lingxiang Sect\u2019s reputation.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Elder Chen looked toward Xie Liufeng\u2019s voice and saw an unfamiliar face. He snorted with disdain: \u201cWho are you? When did matters between sects become the business of a nobody like you?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng laughed: \u201cElder Chen\u2019s words seem biased. This secret realm incident concerns the safety of all involved. Even if I am a nameless and faceless rogue cultivator, surely I have the right to speak?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He took out several array stones engraved with the Lingxiang Sect\u2019s emblem: \u201cI brought some things along. Elder Chen, care to take a look?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Elder Chen glanced briefly and looked away: \u201cJust a few array stones. Though Lingxiang Sect isn\u2019t specialized in arrays, it sells many stones yearly. How can you be sure this matter was caused by someone from our sect?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng casually sat down: \u201cThough the guild leader invited you to stay these days, you\u2019re not one to close your eyes and ears. Don\u2019t you know where these stones \u2014 or the entire array connecting the secret realm \u2014 were found?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Elder Chen remained stubborn: \u201cEven if that place was once Lingxiang Sect\u2019s base, it isn\u2019t forbidden ground, open to everyone. That doesn\u2019t prove it was done by Lingxiang Sect members. I was cultivating that night, and I guarantee I didn\u2019t hear any disciples leaving for no reason!\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng nodded, acknowledging: \u201cYou can guarantee yourself, but can you guarantee others from Lingxiang Sect who came here?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Hearing this, Elder Chen hesitated.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He knew his sect best. The Lingxiang Sect was rife with factions, each with its own agenda. The cultivators who came this time weren\u2019t from a single peak. He could guarantee his own reputation but had no reason to vouch for others.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">After considering for a moment, he sneered and changed his stance: \u201cFine, even if Lingxiang Sect is responsible for this incident, you still can\u2019t\u2014\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u201cGood!\u201d Xie Liufeng interrupted with a smile: &#8220;That\u2019s exactly what we wanted to hear. Since Elder Chen admits Lingxiang Sect\u2019s responsibility in this matter, everyone here can request a full investigation report, right?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Elder Chen was speechless: \u201cYou\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng pondered briefly: \u201cIf there\u2019s going to be an investigation, it shouldn\u2019t be too far from the scene, right? I recall Lingxiang Sect sent seventeen people? Guild leader, please provide them with food and lodging.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling was quick to agree: \u201cWith Elder Chen\u2019s strong sense of responsibility, I certainly can\u2019t just stand by.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng clapped his hands: \u201cAlright, since this is settled for now, Elder Chen, please begin quickly. We should head back to rest.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Everyone slowly dispersed.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Elder Chen\u2019s efforts backfired, instead of freeing himself, he ended up giving others a reason to detain all Lingxiang Sect members here. His face darkened as if dripping water.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Wiping sweat off his face, his eyes flickered with deep thought.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">This Cultivator Chu\u2019s way of doing things reminded him of someone.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">But that person hadn\u2019t appeared publicly for centuries, and many had assumed he was dead. How could he suddenly get involved in a small secret realm incident?<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">*<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\"><br \/><br \/><\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui was still explaining his relationship with Xie Liufeng to his companions when he suddenly heard a familiar voice from behind: \u201cLet me hear it\u2014who\u2019s talking trash about me behind my back now?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He turned around and sure enough saw Xie Liufeng smiling at him.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng had come out with Shang Ling, who curiously glanced several times at this apprentice Xie Liufeng kept mentioning.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui looked at Xie Liufeng and honestly expressed his thoughts: \u201cTelling the truth can\u2019t be called talking trash.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng: \u201c\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Hard to say he was wrong.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling laughed heartily seeing Xie Liufeng at a loss.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">The more he looked at Chu Xinghui, the more he thought the kid was outstanding so he teased him: \u201cXie always out of tune, no future with him. How about this\u2014you become my disciple? My family is big and spacious.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u201cThanks, but no thanks,\u201d Chu Xinghui declined and seriously explained: &#8220;I\u2019m his in life and ghost in death.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He vaguely remembered the phrase might not be quite right, but it didn\u2019t matter as long as it conveyed the meaning.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Shang Ling was a bit stunned, looking between Chu Xinghui and Xie Liufeng, with an expression that said: &#8220;You teach him the martial arts and sword moves, but why also teach him all the nonsense speech?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Such a promising kid\u2014how did he get tainted by Xie Liufeng?<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng glanced at Chu Xinghui, shrugged, and couldn\u2019t help laughing: \u201cNot my fault, he learned it all by himself.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui blushed and secretly pinched Xie Liufeng\u2019s back.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Xie Liufeng took his hand, turned back, and said goodbye to his friend: \u201cAlright, we\u2019re going home first. If there\u2019s progress with the Lingxiang Sect matter, just contact me by spirit communication talisman.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Chu Xinghui also said goodbye to Cheng Yu.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">As they walked back, they just happened to pass Qin Yuwen senior siblings, who were waiting for Elder Chen.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">The two parties brushed past each other.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen looked back and followed Chu Xinghui\u2019s retreating figure with his eyes.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Mu Lingxuan noticed him daydreaming and shook his arm: \u201cSenior brother, what are you looking at?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen explained: \u201cThat peron just now&#8230; is the rogue cultivator I invited last time.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Mu Lingxuan frowned: \u201cSenior brother, why do you always care about that rogue cultivator?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen smiled: \u201cLingxuan, don\u2019t you think that rogue looks somewhat like you and your brother?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Mu Lingxuan frowned, her eyes flashing with disgust: \u201cThere are so many people who look alike. If senior brother likes our appearances, just look at us. Why focus on a lowly rogue cultivator?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">With no one else around, Mu Zeqing didn\u2019t correct his sister\u2019s words but, being more mature, quickly made a connection: \u201cSenior brother means&#8230; the child our parents lost back then?\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen nodded and gently explained: \u201cIt\u2019s just speculation. That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been trying to test him recently.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Mu Zeqing frowned.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He had no real feelings for the lost elder brother. Whether selfish or cold-hearted, his affections naturally leaned toward his sister and senior brother who grew up with him.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Even in a large sect, resources were limited.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">If a useless person was brought back to be raised, that would be one thing, but judging from this guy\u2019s performance, he didn\u2019t look like someone willing to be useless.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">If that person really was their biological elder brother and returned to the Lingxiang Sect to gain the favor of their parents and elders&#8230; there wouldn\u2019t be much resources left for the siblings and senior brother.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">No matter what, their family didn\u2019t need a third child.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Mu Zeqing pondered for a moment, casually stroking his weapon.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">Qin Yuwen glanced at him, smiling faintly, seemingly oblivious to his complicated thoughts.<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He spoke gently, as if truly pleased about this matter: \u201cIf he really is the child our master and mistress lost, we certainly can\u2019t let him drift outside. We should find a way to bring him back to the Lingxiang Sect to recognize his ancestry.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">He looked meaningfully toward the direction where Xie Liufeng and Chu Xinghui were leaving: \u201cI\u2019ve already written to report this to master and mistress. I believe they\u2019ll come to a conclusion soon.\u201d<\/p>\r\n<p lang=\"en-US\">\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<p>Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/bePatron?u=25191841\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"217\" height=\"51\" class=\"wp-image-338 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/become_a_patron_button.png?resize=217%2C51\" alt=\"\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 217px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 217\/51;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/lajnaa\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/kofi3-3.png?resize=185%2C47\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is kofi3-3.png\" width=\"185\" height=\"47\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" class=\"lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 185px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 185\/47;\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>\r\n<p><!--EndFragment--><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two people had just stepped within the town\u2019s limits when someone dressed in the Wanbao Trading Company attendant\u2019s attire hurried over and called out to Xie Liufeng: \u201cSenior Chu, Elder Chen is causing a commotion. Our guild leader heard that you\u2019ve returned and sent me to invite you over to take a look.\u201d Elder Chen [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-second-male-lead-fled-on-the-spot","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TheSecondMale.png?fit=300%2C419&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7386"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7389,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7386\/revisions\/7389"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}