“He’ll be fine.”
Gui Yin glanced at the man who casually took a seat beside him. A plate of carefully cut fruit was placed between them as the other man looked out into the sea of clouds beneath them.
“Thank you, Lord Xun.”
“No need to thank me,” Xun Yunding said with an easy smile. “Even if he hates to admit it, I still consider him my disciple.”
Gui Yin took a piece of the pear out of politeness but didn’t eat it.
“His injuries aren’t why he’s been comatose for so long. It’s because he received a prophecy. That kid gets like that whenever it happens,” Xun Yunding said. He fell silent for a moment. “It’s been a while since he’s received one so strong though.”
“I see,” Gui Yin said. “Receiving a prophecy won’t harm him though, will it?”
“It won’t. It’s like…” Xun Yunding thought about it for a moment. “He’ll feel as if he had been fighting against ghost cultivators for two months without rest. You know that feeling, don’t you?”
Gui Yin nodded.
“And he’s lightly injured on top of that. Otherwise, he’s fine. He just needs his rest,” Xun Yunding said.
“I understand. Thank you,” Gui Yin said.
Xun Yunding glanced at the slice of pear in Gui Yin’s hands. He picked up one for himself and took a large bite. “Your disciple is very well-mannered. I can see where he learned it from now.”
Gui Yin smiled to himself. “He wasn’t always like that. When I first took him in, he was like a young master. Adding onto his recent trauma, he hated when I got close to him. The war made him mature. Otherwise, he’d still be ill-tempered and just barely holding it together.”
“You and your disciples must have a good relationship,” Xun Yunding said. He glanced at Gui Yin. “That’s the first smile I’ve seen since you’ve returned to Kunlun.”
After resting for a few days, Gui Yin had finally gathered enough strength to move Langxia and him away from the scene of the crime. Returning to Hongyan would be difficult because of the gushing river. And if Gui Yin happened to run into Langxia’s enemies on the road back, he wasn’t sure if he could handle them in their current condition. Although Kunlun was further away, the journey was less treacherous. Gui Yin took the gamble and headed back to the upper realm. Luckily, Xun Yunding’s disciple was just returning from his travels and had spotted Gui Yin and Langxia, allowing them to make it back here safely.
But since returning, Gui Yin had been very quiet. Even Xun Yunding, a stranger to Lord Ninglan, knew that this was unnatural.
“I’m a very good listener,” Xun Yunding said as he picked up another slice of pear. “I promise I won’t tell anyone about our conversation.”
Gui Yin chuckled. He finally took a small bite of the pear.
“Has Er’lang told you anything about me?”
“About you? Mm…outside of the fact that you’re the only person that heartless brat has ever cared for, I don’t know much about you. Oh, well, I shouldn’t say that. I know about you,” Xun Yunding said. He smiled as Gui Yin met his gaze. “But I mean that in the same way people know Lord Immortal Ninglan, the great War God.”
“I sustained an injury, not too long ago. It left me on the verge of death, so my shidi took a gamble and used Fire Weed to counteract the Ice Poison in my body. Unfortunately, it caused a bit of memory loss. I’ve since recovered, but along the way…the memories that I had purposefully sealed were also unlocked.”
Xun Yunding’s brows furrowed slightly. “And now…?”
“I remember everything,” Gui Yin said. He smiled wryly to himself. “Before, I wanted so desperately to remember what I chose to forget, but now, it just feels like I’ve been emptied out.”
Gui Yin fiddled with the bite-sized slice of pear between his fingers.
“…It didn’t work.”
Xun Yunding chuckled. “You don’t feel any better?”
“No, it’s not that,” Gui Yin said. He finished up the pear slice and looked out into the pink and orange clouds below. “I thought if I told someone else about what had happened, I wouldn’t miss Er’lang as much. I guess just telling another person won’t automatically help them understand my current emotions though.”
Xun Yunding glanced at Gui Yin. He allowed the silence to sit for a moment before he spoke, “So, right now, do you miss Palace Lord Sun more or is your mind on your recently recovered memories more?”
Gui Yin’s eyes widened a fraction. A short laugh escaped his lips as his fan snapped open. “I…miss him more.”
“That’s good.”
Gui Yin glanced at Xun Yunding.
“Forgive me for drawing a conclusion on your behalf, but it sounds like whatever harmed you before, or whatever made you want to forget your own memories, doesn’t bother you as much now. You seem to be more concentrated on the present. That’s a good sign that you’re starting to move on,” Xun Yunding said.
“…Is that so?” Gui Yin mumbled. He glanced at the tassel that rested motionlessly against his thigh. His gaze softened. “I suppose since he’s appeared, it’s been very difficult to think about anything else.”
Xun Yunding watched Gui Yin silently. He let out an internal sigh. It was good that fate brought these two children together. Who knows what would have happened if they had both wandered their individual paths?
“He’ll wake up soon. I’ll give him three more days,” Xun Yunding said. “So, chin up.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Gui Yin hummed. He thought for a moment and then turned to Xun Yunding. “Since you are here to watch over Er’lang, I think I will return to Yongxiu for a spell.”
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“I think it would be easier if I went by myself,” Gui Yin said.
Xun Yunding nodded. “I understand. Well, you’re healed, so it’s not up to me to stop you.”
Gui Yin chuckled. “Thank you for understanding.”
“But be careful.”
Gui Yin glanced down at Xun Yunding, who was looking up at him with a leisurely smile.
“If anything were to happen to you in the time Palace Lord Sun is comatose, I fear he would lock you up for the rest of your life.”
Gui Yin laughed at the dark joke and shook his head. “Er’lang isn’t the type to do that.”
Xun Yunding smiled. The look in his eyes almost felt as if he were just agreeing to disagree, but Gui Yin paid little attention to it. He left the terrace and returned into the palace.
He made his way to the study and stepped in. Su Wen sat at attention the moment Gui Yin entered. He waited until Gui Yin had sat down across from him before he spoke.
“The situation in Zhengyang has more or less settled,” Su Wen said. “Right now, Miss Qin and Sect Leader Shan are investigating the traitors.”
Gui Yin let out an understanding hum. “How has the upper realm been?”
“Nothing much has changed. This servant stopped by Yunjing Pavilion before I returned upon your request,” Su Wen said, “It seems that everything has gone back to as it was before. Sect Master Lin is recovering nicely. He is putting the wheelchair to good use.”
Gui Yin smiled. “That’s good.”
He let out a soft sigh. “It’s only been a month, but I feel like I’ve been away for far longer.”
“It wouldn’t hurt to visit them before you head off again,” Su Wen suggested softly.
Gui Yin shook his head. “I shouldn’t. We’ve already wasted a week. This situation is a time sensitive matter.”
Su Wen lowered his gaze. He wasn’t sure what Gui Yin and Palace Lord Sun were investigating, but just knowing what was happening in the upper realm was enough to tell Su Wen that they were tackling an issue that concerned the entire continent. Most people would have already caved under such pressure, but Gui Yin only harbored a quiet longing for his home. He glanced at Gui Yin again without any words to share.
Gui Yin smiled. “What’s wrong?”
“When are you leaving, my lord?” Su Wen asked.
“I want to see Huo’er and Xiao Kui first,” Gui Yin said. “They should be back soon. I will probably leave after we have dinner.”
“Does Lord Ninglan want this servant to go with you?” Su Wen asked.
Gui Yin shook his head. “It’s better if I operate by myself. You can rest assured and stay to watch over Siyi and Shan Yu.”
Su Wen clasped his hands together. “Yes, Lord Ninglan.”
Gui Yin stood and glanced at Su Wen. “Do you want to join us for dinner?”
Su Wen shook his head. “I would like to pay A-Qi and Wu Feng a visit before I leave, if that is okay?”
Gui Yin nodded. After Langxia had gotten injured, Gui Yin had half the mind to inform A-Qi and Wu Feng. The pair had settled matters in Yongxiu and had returned to Kunlun around the same day Gui Yin had. They were now stationed here to guard Langxia while he was recuperating.
“Then, this servant will take his leave,” Su Wen said, bowing slightly before leaving the study.
Gui Yin remained at the desk. His index finger lightly tapped against the side of his folding fan. His brows were lightly furrowed as he stared off into the distance.
He said he would return to Yongxiu to search for more information, but if the hideout had been burned down by the fire, there would be no information left. Still, he had to at least try. Perhaps there was another part of the hideout in the basement. He had found Langxia aboveground, so the fire might not have reached that far if there was a lower level. Not to mention, because of the mess Langxia had created, Gui Yin hadn’t had the thought to make sure the place had been thoroughly destroyed.
True Samadhi Fire was strong, but this was resentful energy and devil forged artifacts they were talking about. It was better to return with nothing than to leave traces for them to retrieve.
But what could he do if there was nothing to salvage? The information they had already gathered gave them very little, but this was obviously not their final hideout. There might be one more or even ten more. Gui Yin let out a soft sigh and flicked his fan open.
When Gui Linghuo and Yankui poked their heads into the study, they found Gui Yin sitting in the dark as the sun had already set. The sound of the fan opening and closing was the only audible sound. Yankui and Gui Linghuo shared a glance and it was Gui Linghuo who softly knocked on the door when the opening of it hadn’t attracted Gui Yin’s attention.
A snap sounded in the dark room. The candles soon lit up, illuminating Gui Yin’s pleasant smile. He stood and rounded the desk.
“You two arrived,” Gui Yin snapped his fan shut. He placed a hand over Gui Linghuo’s shoulder and guided the two men out. “Come, let’s go to the dining hall.”
Gui Linghuo glanced at his shizun. “Shizun, is something bothering you?”
“Me? Not particularly. Why do you ask?” Gui Yin asked. He placed a hand on his face and looked appalled. “It can’t be that I’ve gotten new wrinkles?”
“New wrinkles?” Yankui laughed. “Laoshi, you look like you’re the same age as us. I don’t think you need to worry about developing any wrinkles.”
Gui Yin clicked his tongue. “What a sweet mouth.”
“Does it have anything to do with what happened to Palace Lord Sun?” Gui Linghuo asked.
Gui Yin let out a long sigh. “That man is so reckless. I knew something was bound to happen sooner or later. Don’t worry though, he’s fine. He just needs a few more days of rest. He’ll be back up and annoying in no time.”
Gui Linghuo and Yankui shared a glance.
When they heard from Xun Yunding that Palace Lord Sun and Gui Yin had returned, they had initially been excited. But when they learned about Palace Lord Sun’s state, they immediately became concerned. Only now that they’ve seen Gui Yin did their worries subside slightly.
Once the trio were in the dining hall, it didn’t take long for their meal to be served.
“How have you been?” Gui Yin asked the two love birds. “Getting along well?”
“We’ve been fine,” Gui Linghuo said with a soft smile. He glanced at Yankui. “A-Kui takes care of me very well.”
Yankui puffed out his little chest. “Well, of course! I’ve been learning how to cook every day. I even help him bathe sometimes.”
Gui Yin clicked his tongue. “How can you do that? He’ll become spoiled and stick to you all the time.”
Yankui grinned. He pressed his cheek against Gui Linghuo’s shoulder. “I think that’s fine! I like when he sticks to me.”
Gui Linghuo’s gaze softened further, but he didn’t make a move to kiss Yankui with Gui Yin sitting right there. He turned to Gui Yin. “This disciple has also been recovering well.”
Gui Yin hummed. “Have you tried cultivating recently?”
“Just yesterday,” Gui Linghuo said with a small nod. “It’s a lot better now.”
“That’s good,” Gui Yin said. Relief was written clearly on his face. He gave the back of Gui Linghuo’s head a light pat. “Focus on your recovery. If you worry too much about other people, it might hinder you.”
Gui Linghuo hummed, but there was an obvious reluctance in his answer.
Once dinner was finished, Yankui temporarily excused himself, leaving Gui Linghuo and Gui Yin by themselves as they strolled through the gardens of Huigu Palace.
Gui Linghuo glanced at Gui Yin as the pair of them walked down the dimly lit path.
It had been a long time since Gui Linghuo had walked beside Gui Yin like this. When he was younger, Gui Yin was like a towering presence, nearly twice his size. Now, Gui Linghuo was just several centimeters taller than Gui Yin. Despite this, Gui Linghuo didn’t feel any older. When he was alone, he knew he could handle himself, but when he was with Gui Yin he still felt that he had something to prove. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was like an unreachable itch. It almost felt that no matter what he did, he wouldn’t be able to touch it.
“Huo’er.”
Gui Linghuo snapped out of his own thoughts. He met Gui Yin’s gaze and straightened. “Shizun.”
“I was thirty-one when I became peak lord,” Gui Yin said.
Gui Linghuo’s expression stiffened. He watched as Gui Yin wandered to the edge of the garden and looked out into the vast night sky, painted with soft blue clouds.
“At that time, I felt lost. There were many people to help guide me, but none of them truly understood the struggle I was going through,” Gui Yin said. He lowered his gaze. “If I had accepted their help, I’m sure many things would have turned out differently. But in some ways I’m glad I didn’t. If I had accepted it, I might not have found you or Siyi or Shan Yu.”
Gui Yin smiled to himself, but Gui Linghuo could see the jadedness in his eyes. Gui Yin fell silent as his fingers flexed around his folding fan.
“I appreciate your worry for me,” Gui Yin finally spoke again. He looked over his shoulder at Gui Linghuo with a small smile. “But I’m really fine now. I’m just…readjusting.”
“Readjusting?”
“Mn. It’s like…I’ve been in a long dream,” Gui Yin said, his gaze growing distant. “Everything around me was muffled as I wandered with no real destination. I couldn’t decipher what was reality and what was just my own imagination. I think I’ve finally woken up now, so I need some time to readjust to the real world.”
“Shizun, you…you’ve completely recovered your memory, haven’t you?” Gui Linghuo asked.
Gui Yin glanced at Gui Linghuo and chuckled. He lightly tapped the edge of his fan to the tip of Gui Linghuo’s nose. “You’re always a smart one, aren’t you?”
Gui Linghuo lightly rubbed at the tip of his nose and lowered his gaze.
“What do you know?” Gui Yin wondered as he observed Gui Linghuo’s expression.
“Nothing,” Gui Linghuo shook his head. “I just…I’ve heard that Shizun doesn’t have many lovely memories of the past. That also must be why the martial uncles never tried very hard to help Shizun remember.”
“You noticed that too?” Gui Yin chuckled. He fell silent for a moment before humming. “You’re right. I didn’t have many good memories. I spent most of my life punishing myself over an event I could never change.”
Gui Linghuo’s brows furrowed. “Shizun—”
“But now is different,” Gui Yin said with a small smile. He gently placed his hand on Gui Linghuo’s hair. “I have you, I have Siyi, and Shan Yu. I also have Xiao Kui and that stupid man who always follows me around. I still feel guilty about the past, but there are people who help me look forward to the future now.”
He cupped Gui Linghuo’s face and gave his cheeks a teasing squeeze. “So, don’t worry about me, alright? I’m really okay.”
Gui Linghuo pursed his lips. He didn’t struggle away from Gui Yin’s pinching. He remained silent and watched his shizun, as if he was waiting for his mask to crack. Gui Yin couldn’t help but laugh at this time.
“You don’t believe me?”
“I believe you,” Gui Linghuo said.
Even if Gui Yin wasn’t alright now, in the far future, maybe he will really be fine again. Gui Linghuo lowered his gaze. He broke from Gui Yin’s hold and stepped forward. He placed his forehead against Gui Yin’s shoulder and closed his eyes.
“This disciple knows it would be hard to rely on me, but I hope Shizun would confide in me,” Gui Linghuo said.
Gui Yin laughed. He gave Gui Linghuo a tight hug and hummed. “I know. You’re an adult now, so there’s no way I can keep treating you like a child. But you must remember one thing, Huo’er.”
Gui Linghuo felt Gui Yin’s warm embrace and allowed the anxieties dancing in his chest to settle. “What is that?”
“You’re still my oldest baby. There are some things I can share with you, but there are other things that I must keep to myself. Is that okay?”
“…Of course,” Gui Linghuo said. There were many things he kept a secret from Gui Yin. It would be unreasonable if he demanded Gui Yin to tell him everything.
“What a fine adult you’ve grown into,” Gui Yin said as he happily pinched Gui Linghuo’s cheeks. He smiled in satisfaction. “You’ve gained some weight.”
“A-Kui’s cooking is good.”
“I will have to test it out for myself next time then,” Gui Yin said, letting out a long sigh. He glanced around. “Speaking of which, where did that little rabbit hop off to?”
Gui Linghuo smiled sheepishly. “I think he’s hiding somewhere. He must have felt that we should have some time to ourselves.”
“What a considerate child,” Gui Yin said, nodding to himself. He gave Gui Linghuo a warning glance. “You better continue to treat him well. Even if you two break up, he’ll still part of your Uncle Sun’s family.”
Gui Linghuo gave Gui Yin a helpless look. “I treat him very well.”
“Treat him even better now,” Gui Yin said. “He’s been through so much, yet he’s still a gentle child. That’s very rare.”
“I know,” Gui Linghuo said. His smile widened. He was quite happy that Gui Yin liked Yankui so much.
When Yankui rejoined the two of them, he was faced with two pairs of gentle eyes. He shuddered, feeling the hairs on his arms rise. He wanted to snap at them, but the other person was Lord Immortal Ninglan. There was no way Yankui could snap at someone he admired, so he could only glare at Gui Linghuo in protest, yet the man didn’t back down today, as if he had been injected with honey.
It made Yankui’s cheeks warm, but he could only stand to the side begrudgingly.
“I ran into Su Wen on my way over,” Yankui said. He looked at Gui Yin curiously. “Laoshi, are you leaving before Yífú recovers?”
Gui Yin nodded. “I should. In fact, I was planning on heading out tonight.”
“Tonight?” Gui Linghuo asked, his eyes widening. “But…”
“But it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other,” Yankui said, finishing Gui Linghuo’s thought.
Gui Yin smiled. “I know, but there are some things I must take care of. We have all the time to spend together in the future, don’t worry.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Yankui muttered. He thought for a long time before grinning. He tugged on Gui Linghou’s sleeve excitedly. “Next time, we’ll drag Qin-jie and Shan Yu over too. And I’ll cook!”
“You’ll cook?” Gui Yin asked. He nodded in approval. “I’ll look forward to it then.”
“Then, that’s a promise!” Yankui said. “We’ll see you then, Laoshi.”
Gui Yin glanced at Gui Linghuo and then to Yankui’s sparkling eyes. He smiled. He was someone who always kept his promises. Yankui must have guessed that if he made this promise, Gui Linghuo would feel less anxiety in his time away doing a seemingly dangerous thing. He hummed again and gave Yankui’s hair a quick toss.
“Alright. I’ll see you then.”
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Gui Yin…… he’s got so many people with him :’>
;-; he is well loved. Thanks for reading!!!
I love his growth, sometimes i find myself relating to Gui Yin, so seeing him growing as a person feel very comforting.