After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 198 Taking a break from the busy schedule

Shen Xu didn't want to return to the Green Wood Society for one reason: he felt that the Green Wood Society wouldn't need his help anymore, so why should he create trouble for himself?

Another reason is that staying in the Green Wood Society not only means constantly wearing the demon mask, but also frequently enduring Li Xiaoyi's cold stares and flirting. Yuan Wuwei harbors resentment towards him because of Xiao Ruohuang's intimate actions towards him last time, and even Qingyun has been somewhat unfriendly towards him recently for some reason.

In short, he was very uncomfortable at the Aoki Club and would have been much more enjoyable traveling and having fun with Ye Zhi.

However, Ye Zhi seems to have some issues with him now. All the way, she only answered his questions, and was no longer the lively and cheerful person she used to be.

Shen Xu felt that things couldn't continue like this, or he would truly become all alone.

"Xiao Zhi, you should be happy that your name is on the ranking stone tablet, so why do you look so gloomy?" Shen Xu asked tentatively.

"Shen Xu, are you actually a member of the Green Wood Society?" Ye Zhi suddenly asked.

"I guess so!" Shen Xu replied hesitantly.

"They say the powerful members of the Aoki Society all wear masks. Where is your mask?" Ye Zhi asked coldly.

"This..." Shen Xu then realized that Ye Zhi must have guessed that he was the one wearing the demon mask, which was why she asked this question.

"Well, I didn't tell you because I was afraid of scaring you again," Shen Xu said somewhat guiltily.

"You've been lying to me for so long, aren't you feeling smug? You think this girl is a fool, so you just played along, is that what you were thinking?" Ye Zhi asked, her voice trembling with tears.

"I absolutely didn't mean that! I've even told you my real name, so why would I think of lying to you? I genuinely consider you a friend," Shen Xu quickly explained.

"Really?" Ye Zhi wiped away her tears and asked in disbelief.

"of course it's true!"

"Then take out your mask and let me see it!" Ye Zhi suddenly said.

"Huh?" Shen Xu was a little confused by the girl's thought process, but he still took out the demon mask and handed it to Ye Zhi.

Ye Zhi took the mask and put it on, revealing an extremely ferocious smile to Shen Xu.

This was the first time Shen Xu had ever seen a demon mask on someone else's face, which made him tremble. The ferocious and terrifying feeling was something he couldn't fully experience in the reflection in the water mirror.

Seeing Shen Xu's somewhat dazed expression, Ye Zhi took off her mask and revealed a satisfied smile, "You scared me once, and I'll scare you once. We're even now."

"Boring!" Shen Xu snatched the mask, put it on immediately, and gave Ye Zhi a hideous grin.

"Ah!" Ye Zhi, who hadn't even realized what was happening, was so frightened by the demon mask on Shen Xu's face that she collapsed to the ground, her big black eyes filled with glistening tears.

Shen Xu hadn't expected Ye Zhi to react so strongly, so he quickly took off his mask, squatted down in front of Ye Zhi, and asked with concern, "Xiao Zhi, are you alright?"

"Bastard!" Ye Zhi said through gritted teeth, tears welling in her eyes.

"Okay, I'm a bastard!" Shen Xu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Ye Zhi was alright. He was afraid that Ye Zhi would faint like Jia Lin.

But why do different people react so differently to the demon mask? What secret does this demon mask hold?

"Actually, I'm more familiar with what you look like with a mask on?" Ye Zhi said somewhat shyly.

"You've only met him once, and you're already so impressed?" Shen Xu asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Uh… of course! I’m definitely very impressed with such a scary mask!” Ye Zhi’s tone suddenly rose.

Ye Zhi wouldn't tell Shen Xu that she came to Qinghu by following behind him, nor would she tell him that she witnessed his battle with the Wolf King, the worship of the Dust Ox, his Sixfold Waves, and his disappearance into Qinghu riding a giant blue-snouted crocodile...

Ye Zhi knew she might never meet such a person, but she still chose to wander around Qinghu again and again, hoping that figure would appear before her eyes again.

Until that day she found the man in front of her by the lake. She just felt that he looked a lot like him, so she recklessly risked being eliminated and followed him out of the safe world of red soil.

In the end, fate smiled upon her, allowing her to spend so much time with the person she had been longing for without even realizing it. Although the man before her was vastly different from what she had imagined, he didn't seem so bad after all.

Thinking of this, Ye Zhi couldn't help but laugh out loud, and then immediately covered her mouth.

"What are you thinking about? You're laughing so happily." Shen Xu sat down next to Ye Zhi and asked curiously.

Ye Zhi said with a smile, "I think if I can really pass the sword selection, my father will be very happy."

“You are still in great danger. You can’t relax until the very last moment. I estimate that many people are saving their Kun Yuan Qi, waiting to pull down those of you with lower rankings when the Sword Selection is about to end,” Shen Xu said thoughtfully.

"Then what should I do?" Ye Zhi asked nervously.

"It's simple! Just raise your ranking high enough, or eliminate me at the last minute," Shen Xu said with a smile.

……

Inside a tent belonging to the Aoki Society, Wentian and several others were discussing matters.

"How's the ranking stone tablet doing?" Zuo Chen asked.

“With the support of our Kun Yuan Qi, as long as everyone on the list is ranked high, there shouldn’t be any major problems. My concern is that some independent swordsmen might snatch up some spots at the last minute,” Cen Chong replied.

"Although on the surface the remaining seven hundred or so spots are divided equally among the five of us, the strength of the Sanren Sword Selection should not be underestimated, so it is inevitable that some people will be squeezed out. Things can never be perfect."

"Have you heard any news about the formidable enemy the Sword Alliance mentioned?" Qingyun suddenly asked.

"We're still investigating. Qingyun, why are you suddenly interested in this?" Cen Chong asked curiously.

“Brother Shen hasn’t come out of the Kunyuan Palace yet. I’m afraid he won’t be able to get out again once the secret realm closes,” Qingyun replied sadly.

Upon hearing Qingyun's answer, the three people in the room fell silent.

Suddenly, Yuan Wuwei burst in.

“Shen Xu’s ranking has dropped one place, and his Kun Yuan Qi has been completely cleared,” Yuan Wuwei said to the people in the tent.

"What! What exactly happened to Brother Shen? Has he been eliminated?" Qingyun murmured in disbelief.

"I don't think so. Although Shen Xu has little Kun Yuan Qi, there's no way that Kun Yuan Qi would be completely wiped out."

There's only one possibility for this to happen: he gave all of his Kun Yuan Qi to someone else. Zuo Chen said thoughtfully.

"Wuwei, go check if there are any newly added names on the stone tablet, or names that have risen in the rankings very quickly."

"Okay! I'll go now."

After Yuan Wuwei left, Cen Chong asked with some doubt, "You mean Shen Xu has already come out of Kunyuan Palace, so why didn't he come to find us?"

Zuo Chen smiled and said, "Heaven is giving you a chance to slack off, do you want it?"

"That man is despicable! It's a shame that Sister Xiao Yi is still waiting for him in the Demon Eagle Valley." Qing Yun said angrily, and then stormed out of the tent.

"Qingyun, where are you going?" Zuo Chen asked.

"I'm going to find Sister Ruohuang and ask her to bring Sister Xiaoyi back!"