The one calling out “Fourth Senior Brother” was Xi Xi. Xi Xi had been brought up the mountain by the old madman two years ago. When she first arrived at Wuxin Peak, she was sallow and emaciated, her body filthy like an abandoned child. At that time, Xi Xi was only eleven years old!
Though more than two years had passed, her body remained frail. While her complexion was no longer so sallow, she was still gaunt. She was not very tall, looking undernourished. Her hair was split and lacked lustre.
Xi Xi was the last disciple the old madman accepted. Ye Chu clearly remembered the sigh the old madman let out when he brought Xi Xi up the mountain, then personally took action to nurse her body back to health.
Compared to the other lunatics on Qingmi Mountain, Xi Xi was undoubtedly the most normal person. She was extremely obedient and evoked pity and affection. Though the other lunatics loved to cause chaos, they never laid a hand on Xi Xi.
What moved Ye Chu the most was the time Xi Xi picked a few sweet wild fruits outside. She could not bear to eat them herself and ran back to him, Jin Wawa, and the others, heedless of the thorns tearing at her clothes. Her thin body was covered in scratches, some bleeding. Ye Chu clearly remembered Xi Xi running up to them with a bright smile, sweetly saying, “Senior Brothers, freshly picked, very fresh, eat!”
When they saw the torn clothes and blood on Xi Xi, none of them knew what to feel.
Ye Chu only remembered Jin Wawa crushing a stone he had carved into a gold ingot in his hand. Another lunatic who carried a mirror every day put it away for the first time. As for the lunatic who rarely left his cave even once a year, he muttered “lunatic” under his breath and turned to leave. Ye Chu distinctly saw that cave-dwelling madman tilt his head back and wipe his eyes.
After that incident, all the lunatics of Qingmi Mountain, including Ye Chu, adopted a permissive attitude toward Xi Xi. Whatever she wanted to do, they let her. No one ever forced her. Even if Xi Xi damaged Jin Wawa’s gold ingot items or broke another lunatic’s mirror, neither Jin Wawa nor the others minded.
If Ye Chu had done the same, he had no doubt he would have been thrown into the snake pit.
Ye Chu rubbed Xi Xi’s dry, yellow hair and smiled at her. “Where are the old madman and the other lunatics?”
Xi Xi looked curiously at Bai Xuan and Yaoyao, feeling surprised. How could Fourth Senior Brother bring outsiders up the mountain so casually?
“First Senior Brother is in seclusion. Second Senior Brother is painting while looking at the mirror,” Xi Xi answered, exactly as Ye Chu had expected.
Ye Chu introduced Xi Xi to Bai Xuan and Yaoyao, asking Xi Xi to arrange accommodations for them. Xi Xi happily agreed, took Bai Xuan’s hand, and said with envy, “Sister Bai Xuan is so beautiful. I wish I could grow up to be like you.”
Bai Xuan looked at Xi Xi’s frail frame and knew the girl likely carried deep-rooted health issues. She smiled and said, “When you grow a little older, you will be very beautiful too!”
“Really?” Xi Xi beamed, holding Bai Xuan’s hand warmly. No one had ever said such words to her. She felt very happy.
Ye Chu watched Xi Xi quickly grow close to Bai Xuan, smiled, told Xi Xi to take care of her, then headed toward where Ouyi was.
“Fourth Young Master, you are back!” A somewhat surprised voice sounded from outside Ouyi’s courtyard.
“Uncle Wang, Aunt Wang, prepare two extra portions for dinner today,” Ye Chu said with a smile to the elderly couple tending potted plants in Ouyi’s courtyard. These were the only two servants on Wuxin Peak, a husband and wife who had taken care of everyone’s daily needs for many years.
Including Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang, Wuxin Peak had fewer than ten people in total. Compared to other peaks with thousands or even tens of thousands of disciples, it seemed extremely shabby.
But this was inevitable. First, the old madman was eccentric and rarely accepted disciples. Second, even if someone wanted to join, seeing the lunatics of Qingmi Mountain would scare them away.
Ye Chu entered the courtyard and stepped into the hall. He saw a young man. The youth had long black hair cascading over his shoulders, gleaming with oil. His face was handsome, his figure tall and well-built. He was an exceptionally good-looking man.
He held a mirror in one hand and a brush in the other, painting with ink.
“Handsome! Too handsome! How can someone so handsome exist in this world!” Ouyi glanced at his painting, then back at the mirror, sighing. “I finally understand why the old madman told me to stay on Qingmi Mountain and not go down casually. With such stunning looks, if I went down the mountain and women saw me, how many sleepless nights would they suffer?”
“Heaven is truly unfair. How could it create someone as handsome as me?”
“…”
Ouyi stared into the mirror, gazing at the all-too-familiar face, sighing in admiration. Every time he looked at himself, he felt he had reached the pinnacle of handsomeness. Yet each next glance made him seem even more perfect. He truly believed the person in the mirror was flawless.
Ye Chu watched this scene and could not help admiring his own resilience. After spending so long on Wuxin Peak surrounded by such lunatics, he had somehow managed to remain normal. That was a miracle in itself.
First Senior Brother spent every day in seclusion. Once he closed himself off, it could last a month, several months, or even a full year. He ate, drank, and relieved himself inside his cave. Clearly, a mentally unstable individual.
Second Senior Brother spent every day looking in the mirror and painting himself, endlessly marvelling at his own handsomeness. Whenever he went down the mountain, he would grab people and ask if he was the most handsome person alive. A narcissist driven to madness.
Third Senior Brother Jin Wawa needed no explanation. He believed himself to be the God of Wealth every day, seeing everything as gold ingots. A lunatic.
“Ye Chu, you are back? Come, come, take a look. Am I even more handsome now? Look at my painting!” Ouyi saw Ye Chu, his eyes lit up, and he pulled Ye Chu over to see his work.
Ye Chu quickly stepped back several paces. He knew this fellow’s nature well. If he looked at the painting, Ouyi would unleash a torrent of endless self-praise without repeating himself. He would not stop until Ye Chu was foaming at the mouth and retching.
“Um… such beauty is beyond ordinary mortals like me to appreciate. Only you can truly savour it.” Ye Chu said quickly. “I only came to let you know that I brought two people up the mountain this time. Treat them as our own. I am telling you so you do not mistake them for outsiders.”
“Hm?” Ouyi finally tore his gaze away from the mirror for a moment. He looked at Ye Chu in surprise. “You dared bring outsiders up the mountain? Did the old madman agree?”
“I will speak to the old madman myself. I just do not know where he has gone off to this time,” Ye Chu said. “I only hope that when other peaks cause trouble, you can acknowledge their identity.”
“Oh!” Ouyi replied casually, indicating he understood. His gaze returned to the mirror. He shook his head, frowning in distress, looking left and right, always feeling the person in the mirror was so handsome that others could hardly live with themselves.
Having delivered the message, Ye Chu naturally did not linger in this den of lunatics. He considered going to see the seclusion-obsessed madman, but thinking that the fellow was probably just sleeping, he gave up the idea.
That lunatic could sleep through thunderclaps. Once he slept, it could last months. Ye Chu could not help admiring him for it.