This night, Qi Tian truly witnessed what was meant by the atmosphere of life and hearth.
Before, his mind was consumed by improving his techniques and learning the latest skills. He had never truly experienced the vibrancy and excitement of the mortal world.
Today, he had.
It was the New Year, and outside, lights blazed, with many people outside, their faces beaming with happiness, enjoying themselves.
Qi Tian, for the first time, properly lived as an ordinary person, grounded, bit by bit experiencing, bit by bit connecting, and seeing clearly with his own eyes.
This was the atmosphere of life and hearth?
This was what he had always been unaware of.
It was in such a world that he felt more like a human.
As they began their journey back, Lin Xiao said, "How was it, Young Sect Master? Do you like the mortal world?"
"It was alright."
Alright?
Lin Xiao grinned. He hadn't yet taken Qi Tian to see the most important place. Their current direction was towards the Hehuan Sect's bar.
During the New Year, the bar was festively decorated, and business was booming.
As they grew closer to the bar, Qi Tian suddenly sensed something was amiss.
"Lin Xiao, I feel a cultivator's aura here."
His senses were sharp, and as he spoke, he became highly alert, scanning the surroundings, trying to locate the source of these auras.
"Are there cultivators stronger than you?"
"Not at all, it just feels... strange."
This aura, Qi Tian felt, was somewhat familiar, but he couldn't quite recall where he had encountered it before.
Suddenly, the two of them stopped at the entrance of a bar.
At this moment, Qi Tian finally halted his steps and looked at Lin Xiao. "Lin Xiao, this place... has the aura of the Hehuan Sect."
"I know."
Lin Xiao said this and pulled Qi Tian inside.
"What are you doing!"
Qi Tian panicked. The Hehuan Sect! Was Lin Xiao trying to push him into a pit of fire? Thinking this, he prepared to slip away.
But...
He couldn't defeat Lin Xiao right now.
Lin Xiao restrained him, forcefully keeping him there.
"Young Sect Master, come in with me. It's just the Hehuan Sect, not like we're seeing your master," Lin Xiao said nonchalantly.
"You don't know, the women of the Hehuan Sect, they are all..."
"They are all what?"
Suddenly, a clear and beautiful voice rang out, and Qi Tian's words were abruptly swallowed.
"Isn't this Qi Tian? The Young Sect Master of the Qi Sect? I recall you once called our Hehuan Sect's female disciples shameless, calling them all vixenesses. How come you have time to visit here today?"
At these words, Qi Tian's face turned extremely awkward.
Lin Xiao also suddenly understood. No wonder Qi Tian was so resistant when the Hehuan Sect was mentioned. It turned out that in Qi Tian's eyes, the Hehuan Sect was like this?
And, judging by the situation, Qi Tian's words were likely spoken in front of disciples of the Hehuan Sect, otherwise, there wouldn't be such a strong reaction.
He quietly observed Qi Tian, it seemed...
Qi Tian's expression didn't seem to be one of genuine dislike for the Hehuan Sect disciples. Instead, it was like he had done something wrong and was now embarrassed to see the very people he had offended.
An idea formed in his mind.
Qi Tian didn't truly mean those words. However, in order to escape the people of the Hehuan Sect, he had uttered such hurtful remarks, and now, he felt a sense of guilt.