In winter, light snow began to drift outside.
The whole world was covered in a veil of silver, looking extremely beautiful.
The Metaphysics Exchange Conference would start in three days.
Daoist Qingyun, together with his disciples, had arrived early at the venue of the conference.
Zhang Zicheng still couldn't come. His legs were in a bad condition, and it was still inconvenient for him to move around, so he had to stay at home.
Niannian was bundled up like a little dumpling. The thick down jacket made her look chubby.
This time she came out mainly to gain some experience.
Originally, Daoist Qingyun didn't want to come. For some reason, when Niannian proposed to attend this Metaphysics Exchange Conference, there was full resistance written on his face.
He directly refused and didn't even say a word. He avoided Niannian for a whole three days.
Later, it was Xiaotuanzi who cried loudly. Unable to resist the soft coaxing of his little disciple, Daoist Qingyun reluctantly agreed.
Even when he got here, he was still reluctant.
He pulled a long face, half-closed one of his eyes, with unhappiness clearly written on his face.
The Metaphysics Exchange Conference was held on an antique street. Usually a rather deserted place, this antique street had been bustling with noise and excitement in the past few days.
Niannian never knew that there were so many people in this circle.
Warlocks and Taoists were no longer special existences. Almost everyone walking around here had some skills.
It was as if she had stepped into another world.
But this kind of world made her feel extremely at ease.
"Wow, there are so many people!"
Xiaotuanzi exclaimed in delight. Strangely enough, Daoist Qingyun didn't play along with his disciple this time. Instead, he snorted.
"Humph, what's so good about so many people? It's so noisy that it gives me a headache. I said I didn't want to come, but you brats insisted on coming!"
"Master, just stop complaining. Since we're already here, stop grumbling. If you had the guts, you shouldn't have agreed in the first place."
Liu Chuchen wasn't used to indulging his bad temper. With just a few words, he almost made Daoist Qingyun spit out old blood.
"You unfilial disciple!"
There was no way Daoist Qingyun could win in an argument. Having lived for so many years, he rarely met someone as sharp-tongued as Liu Chuchen.
However, as a master, he still had some authority he could exercise.
For example, he could just reach out and hit.
Liu Chuchen didn't even flinch when he was slapped on the back of his head.
Seeing his attitude of complete ignorance, Daoist Qingyun felt extremely angry.
He raised his hand and wanted to hit him again.
Niannian blinked her eyes and hugged Daoist Qingyun's leg. "Master, don't bully Fourth Senior Brother."
The slap didn't fall. Daoist Qingyun looked at the little dumpling with a determined look in her eyes as if protecting her cubs. He then arrogantly turned his head away.
Liu Chuchen lowered his head and gently rubbed the little tuft of hair on Niannian's head with a gentle look in his eyes.
Only when he looked at Niannian did his eyes look a bit more human.
"Over here!"
Shen Weixun didn't care about their bickering. Seeing those swaying figures at the airport, he waved his hand to say hello.
Originally, he planned to arrange things himself, but He Qing repeatedly asked to do the honors as a local. So Shen Weixun didn't refuse anymore.
"You're here. I've arranged the hotel. I'll take you there now. Thank you so much for what happened last time. My parents said they want to invite you to dinner. I wonder if you'd like to?"
He Qing's smile was sincere. It seemed that he was really happy to welcome them.
"Are you surnamed He?"
Surprisingly, the unhappy Daoist Qingyun actually took the initiative to start a conversation.
He Qing was slightly stunned. He carefully sized up Daoist Qingyun for a while. After making sure he had never seen this Taoist priest before, he asked suspiciously, "How did senior know?"
"Your father's name is Hu Cheng, and your mother's name is He Manman. Your father married into your mother's family, and you took your mother's surname. I used to have dealings with them. You look quite like your mother."
Daoist Qingyun lifted his eyelids slightly, and his expression didn't change at all. His tone didn't sound like he was talking about a good friend, nor like he was mentioning an enemy with a feud.
His nonchalant attitude was really confusing.
"Ah? Is that so? That's really a coincidence. I do look quite like my mother. Everyone says so. May I ask senior's name?"
This was Niannian's master. He had seen how capable Niannian was on the island last time, so He Qing naturally didn't dare to be negligent.
Even though Daoist Qingyun's attitude was a bit arrogant and made him feel uncomfortable.
But he still endured his temper and did what a junior should do.
"You don't need to know. Your parents probably don't want to mention me either. Let's go. Aren't we going to the hotel?"
The originally relaxed atmosphere became a bit awkward because of Daoist Qingyun's words.
Niannian and her senior brothers and sisters all looked at Daoist Qingyun with a look of disbelief.
Although Master seemed unreliable, he actually had a very good temper.
Unless it involved his bottom line or professional issues and he would be more serious, he was always happy-go-lucky with everyone.
This was the first time they saw Master show such an attitude towards a stranger, especially a junior.
Niannian scratched her head and subconsciously grabbed Daoist Qingyun's sleeve.
She silently asked with her eyes what was wrong with Master.
Daoist Qingyun looked down at the little dumpling, then directly picked her up from the ground. He remained silent and didn't respond.
"Ah, then let's go. I've arranged the car. It's over here."
He Qing didn't know what to say next, so he could only lead the way towards the car.
"There are quite a few scenic spots here. You came three days early. During this time, you can get familiar with the antique street first. Nowadays, the Metaphysics Exchange Conference is not only attended by sects or Taoist temples. There are also many self-taught Taoists or ordinary people interested in this field coming to watch. Some of them even set up stalls here. You might be able to find some good deals by looking around."
"If you need anything, just call me. This time you've come here, I must accompany you well. After the conference is over, I'll invite you to dinner. Please don't refuse. In our place, if you don't make arrangements when friends come to visit, you'll be scolded. After dinner, I'll take you to experience the bathing culture here. It's very comfortable to soak in hot springs in winter. I guarantee you'll want to come a second time..."
He Qing was a very enthusiastic person and didn't seem to hold grudges.
Even though Daoist Qingyun's attitude wasn't very good just now, he still tried his best to initiate topics and ease the atmosphere in the car.
Niannian responded to everything. No matter what He Qing said, she could chime in.
Shen Weixun and Mu Yanchen also responded politely.
However, Daoist Qingyun and Liu Chuchen remained silent throughout the whole process.