A/N: Thank you all my monthly supporters for helping us reach the next ko-fi goal! If you want to support me and get extra chapters, my ko-fi is linked in my author profile. However, because I am planning to update every day this week (bc it’s my birthday today lol), the ko-fi goal will be disabled until next week. Thank you!
tw; brief mentions of torture
Gui Yin sat in silence as an acceptable meal was placed on the table in front of him. He gave a polite smile to the servant and said a soft thanks. The servant flushed and hesitated slightly as they began to leave the cell. Gui Yin glanced up curiously and watched as a bottle was placed on the table.
“This is…”
The servant gave Gui Yin a soft, subtle nod, and calmly walked out of the cell.
Gui Yin lifted the pill bottle and shook out a pill. His eyes widened in shock when he recognized it to be a medicine that Li Fangyin often took while they were on the battlefield. It would quickly mend any internal and external injuries for a spell, until they could be properly treated. It had to be used sparingly though, which was why Gui Yin always scolded Li Fangyin when he brought it out.
According to Li Fangyin, this kind of medicine was rare and the only reason he had it was because he often traveled to the northern parts of the continent.
If this medicine came from Li Fangyin, then it bore a simple message—“bear with it for now.”
Gui Yin let out a soft sigh. He tested his food for poison and began to absentmindedly munch on his mediocre meal.
It had been three days since the matrix of the Whirlpool Prison had completely shattered. There was no one in the prison who was willing to answer any of his questions, so Gui Yin didn’t know what the situation on the outside was. It wouldn’t be possible that Li Huanwei hadn’t told the greater half of the cultivation world yet, right? Even if he was stupid enough to withhold that information, the other sect leaders at the scene would have spoken up.
Still, the entire situation made Gui Yin antsy.
Why was Li Huanwei and the others there? What had happened with the Whirlpool Prison? Did this mean that Qiao Ceng had made a successful escape? But how could that be? He and Langxia had clearly been destroying all the sacrificial cauldrons!
Gui Yin irritably stabbed at his rice. They sure were taking their sweet time, gathering nonexistent testimonies in order to “prove” Gui Yin’s guilt.
Everything was so calm on the surface that it made Gui Yin’s stomach churn. Such a high-level prisoner breaking out of such a high security prison warrants quick action and quick decision making, yet everyone seemed to be taking their sweet time.
As Gui Yin took another bite of rice, a thought occurred to him.
Did anyone even know of his arrest?
If Lin Cangyuan and the others had caught news of his imprisonment, they would have barged in here already and demanded for him to be released or at least for an explanation.
Gui Yin put his chopsticks down and sighed.
They were keeping it on the downlow because they didn’t have enough evidence. Perhaps they had been gambling that Gui Yin would have fled, because of his pride. Unluckily for them, Gui Yin’s arrogance didn’t mean he was dull. There was a reason Langxia always teased him by calling him a cunning fox.
Gui Yin’s frown deepened. Langxia…
“Is he still comatose?” Gui Yin muttered.
He had to be. Otherwise, he would have come already and spirited him away.
Gui Yin held his head and squeezed his temples.
He had given up Fenghua, but they hadn’t taken Shui Meng. Luckily for Gui Yin, the fact that he had two natal weapons was a well-guarded secret. Most people thought Fenghua embodied both a melee weapon and a long-ranged weapon.
If it came down to it, Gui Yin could just bust out of prison. Knowing Li Huanwei, Fenghua was most likely not closely guarded and could easily return to his side once he was out of this prison as well.
Gui Yin walked over to the door and placed his hand on it. It was cold, stygian steel. This material had the inherent ability to weaken a cultivator’s powers, but that didn’t mean a person like Gui Yin shouldn’t also have his cultivation sealed and shouldn’t be chained up to the wall.
Gui Yin’s brows furrowed.
Li Huanwei and whoever else was behind him were betting on Gui Yin breaking out of prison.
He scoffed and went back to the table.
If Qiao Ceng knew that his henchmen lacked this much intelligence, he probably would have regretted putting Gui Yin into their hands. After all, Qiao Ceng personally understood just what type of person Gui Yin was.
Gui Yin’s gaze darkened at the thought of his ex-lover. He resisted the urge to smash the only teacup he had and, instead, poured himself another cup of leaf flavored water.
It tasted horrible.
After savoring his meal and finishing his lukewarm leaf water, Gui Yin stood and began to walk around the cell again. His fingers trailed against the wall and he glanced out the rectangular window that was a meter or so above his head. His eyes narrowed and he brought over a chair to look outside.
At first, Gui Yin had wondered if he had been taken to Yin Hua Palace, but now he knew it wasn’t the case.
Just outside the window was a beautiful sprawling landscape. The only issue was that it was obviously not close to any civilization. His brows furrowed and he put the chair back at the table with little rush. He dusted its surface and proceeded to sit back down.
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.
Glv Tlc Lej Ujijmf jikjsr tjnf j qglrbc rfmievfv lc atf wbecajlc? Po atfs vlv, atfc la kjrc’a qeyilmis xcbkc.
Qtja kjr Ol Lejckfl’r qijc? Qtja kjr tf agslcu ab vb?
Xel Tlc abbx j vffq ygfjat jcv aglfv ab mjiw tlr yehhlcu cfgnfr. Llr olcufgr rmgjqqfv ja atf kbbvfc regojmf bo atf ajyif cbk atja tf vlvc’a tjnf j ojc ab olvvif klat. C atbeuta oijrtfv atgbeut tlr ygjlc jcv tlr lgglajalbc ja Ol Lejckfl jwqilolfv.
If the tassel Langxia gave him was not there when Fenghua returned to his side, he’d capture Li Huanwei and skin him even if Li Fangyin was alive and well.
“Bastard,” Gui Yin muttered.
The sudden realization of the absence of Langxia’s gift made Gui Yin deflate slightly. He sighed and pinched the spot between his brows. On the one hand, he found himself and the entire situation laughable. On the other, he couldn’t help but take a moment to marvel at how well Langxia had assimilated himself into Gui Yin’s life.
Once he was out, he would definitely give Langxia a good smacking.
Gui Yin stood and knocked on the door. When a guard walked over and slid open the small window, he smiled: “Mr. Guard, could I bother you to bring me more tea? I’m out.”
The guard looked at Gui Yin with a stern expression. A moment later, he huffed and stepped back. “Slide it through the gap.”
Gui Yin returned with the teapot and did as he was told. He also slid the empty tray through the doggy door and took a step back. He waited at the table for about ten minutes before the teapot returned to him. He took the teapot from the guard and smiled.
“Thank you, Mr. Guard.”
The guard glared at him. There was obvious discomfort in his eyes, but Gui Yin pretended to not notice it.
Just when Gui Yin thought the guard had left, his voice reached his ears.
“I won’t be working here anymore after tomorrow,” the guard’s low voice muttered. “It’ll be some other guys.”
Gui Yin glanced up and watched as the man left. His gaze lowered thoughtfully as he poured himself a cup of leaf water. He took a small sip and paused.
It was real tea.
Some other guys?
Gui Yin sighed. It seemed his leisurely three-day vacation was coming to an end. How unfortunate.
The next day, Gui Yin was rudely awakened by the sound of the heavy iron door being thrown open. His eyes opened and he watched as a burly man stepped into the room.
“Take this.”
Gui Yin looked at the pill being held out to him and then back up to the other man. There was a slight detachment in his eyes as he spoke his next words.
“If your master told you to give me this, why not just pull out my golden core, destroy my cultivation, and mutilate my meridians?”
The newcomer and the cultivator behind him stared at Gui Yin in shock. Their façade faded and a hint of fear emerged in their eyes.
“That way, I definitely won’t escape. I’ll be a crippled person, and you can do whatever you want with me,” Gui Yin said. He sat back leisurely and tilted his chin towards the pill. “A thing like that won’t stop me for long. It’ll just suppress my cultivation temporarily, but it’s like a needle. It can always be pulled out.”
The two cultivators glanced at each other. It was clear that they were trying to figure out what their next move was, but Gui Yin was never the type to give trouble to employees. With a dramatic sigh, he took the pill from the man’s hand and popped it into his mouth.
He sat silently, under the nervous gazes of the two guards in front of him and waited a moment. He slowly felt an abnormal fatigue settle on his shoulders. The chill in the jail cell became much more apparent. It was clear that the clothes he currently wore would not help him in the upcoming wintery months. He couldn’t help but shudder slightly. His teeth began to subtly clatter, and his hands shook against his will.
Seeing this, the guards relaxed. The man, who had been holding the pill, strutted forward and pulled Gui Yin up from his seat. Although much rougher than how he would normally be treated, Gui Yin could feel the restraint in his actions. He glanced at the burly man but decided that this man was just scared.
Well, if he was scared, he just had to beat Gui Yin into being an invalid, right? That way, he won’t be able to retaliate once he got this nasty pill out of his system.
Gui Yin remained passive in the man’s grasp as he was dragged to another part of the dungeon that he hadn’t had the pleasure of touring before. He glanced around at the torture tools on the table and then at the unwashed bloodstains on the floor.
“Hold on.”
Thinking that Gui Yin finally felt fear, the man holding him let out a breath of relief.
However, to his and his companion’s surprise, Gui Yin simply shrugged his shoulder slightly.
“May I please have a change of clothes first? I’m quite attached to this outfit. I don’t want to see it ruined,” Gui Yin said.
“I…sure—”
“Are you stupid?!” his companion shouted. The shorter man clicked his tongue and grabbed Gui Yin.
Gui Yin was suddenly slammed against the wall. A cold shackle strangled his neck and four more latched onto his wrists and ankles. If he didn’t stand properly, he would still be held up by the shackles against the walls. Gui Yin let out a soft sigh and shifted his weight on his feet.
“It was just a little request,” Gui Yin muttered in discontent. “No need to be that rough.”
The burly man looked to Gui Yin, then back to his companion. He seemed annoyed about his companion’s rash actions, but he didn’t refuse when he was handed the first tool of torture.
“Lord Ninglan, know that we’re not doing this because we want to,” the burly man finally said. He looked up at Gui Yin. “This is because our master asked us to.”
Gui Yin smiled amicably, as if he didn’t see the whip barbed with wires. “And who is your master?”
“Li Huanwei.”
The first crack of the whip, that signified the beginning of a long, arduous month, echoed through the dungeon. But the only human sounds came from the guard executing Gui Yin’s torture and the nonsensical questions, recited by the other guard at his side.
Even as one lash turned to ten, Lord Immortal Ninglan no longer spoke.
Water sloshed around the well-defined legs, immediately soaking the white pants and causing the fabric to stick to his skin.
Gui Linghuo breathed a sigh of relief as he sank into the medicated bath. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing.
Kunlun was a place filled to the brim with spiritual energy. Even the people without any cultivation talent were able to feel a difference after spending a few days there.
Gui Linghuo, whose meridians had slowly begun to clear with the help of the medicated bath, definitely felt a difference. His entire life, he had gotten to where he was through perseverance, but this perseverance came at the price of his own sanity and his temper. Eventually, he let go of this thirst for cultivation and his growth stagnated.
Now, his body was filled with energy. He felt lighter on his feet, his mind felt clearer, and the dense darkness surrounding his heart seemed to have cleared.
According to Xun Yunding, Gui Linghuo’s cultivation had also improved by leaps and bounds, allowing him to fully catch up to Qin Siyi and even pushed him further. While he had never cared much about competition between his martial siblings, he couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. If he was stronger than them, then at least he could protect them. And if he was getting stronger, he could finally be of use to his shizun.
Three hours passed before Gui Linghuo got out of the bath.
The sun had risen by now but it was accompanied by a slight chill that belonged solely to the oncoming winter months.
Gui Linghuo paused for a moment and glanced out at the rising sun. His brows furrowed as he slipped into dry clothes and he stepped out of the veranda.
“What’s on your mind?”
The voice didn’t surprise Gui Linghuo. He glanced over to Xun Yunding and bowed low.
“Lord Immortal, may I ask if anything has been happening in the outside world?” Gui Linghuo asked.
“Anything?” Xun Yunding lowered the wooden scoop back into the bucket. He hummed and then replied, “Well, of course. Flowers have wilted, birds are currently in migration. The trees are slowly losing their leaves and—oh. Well, this one you might find interesting, but I sensed a little something in the north the other day.”
“In the north?” Gui Linghuo frowned.
“That’s right. In the lower realms, a large bubble of pressure exploded. The ground shook and the skies began to split. I heard many people died, but then it suddenly stopped,” Xun Yunding said.
“Was it created by a demon of sorts?”
“A demon,” Xun Yunding echoed. He chuckled to himself and then turned to Gui Linghuo. “What do you think?”
If it was to the north of the lower realm, there was only ocean. Gui Linghuo frowned. Was it a water demon? No, that can’t be. If it was something that even startled Xun Yunding, then it could only be…
“Requesting Lord Immortal allow me to leave Kunlun,” Gui Linghuo said.
“Requesting? I’m not keeping you captive here,” Xun Yunding shrugged. He glanced at Gui Linghuo. “While that dastardly ghost qi hasn’t been completely cleared, you’ve returned to the level of a regular cultivator. If you want to leave, then leave.”
Gui Linghuo cupped his hands together and bowed.
“However, don’t forget to come back after your business is done,” Xun Yunding called out to Gui Linghuo as the younger man was leaving. “You have great potential! Come back later so we can sort out the rest of your issues.”
Gui Linghuo gave a curt nod of agreement and then went to find Yankui.
The young man was resting in their shared home, with one leg lazily propped over the other. When Gui Linghuo entered, he immediately sat up and happily walked over. His arms habitually rose and wrapped around Gui Linghuo’s shoulders before he dropped his weight, forcing Gui Linghuo to carry him by the waist.
A small look of disapproval crossed Gui Linghuo’s expression, but the indulgence in his eyes allowed Yankui to remain against him.
“What should we eat today? Should we go into town?” Yankui asked, his feet dragging as Gui Linghuo attempted to make it to the table.
“A-Kui, you’re going to hurt yourself,” Gui Linghuo chided.
“Then, just carry me,” Yankui pouted.
Gui Linghuo sighed, but still lifted Yankui up. He placed the younger man onto the table and smiled slightly. “Lord Xun said I’m much better now.”
Yankui’s previous smile faded. His lovely eyes narrowed and he removed his arms from Gui Linghuo’s neck. He looked at his partner skeptically.
“And so?”
Gui Linghuo sensed the shift in Yankui’s mood and gently took his hand. “So, I wanted to go back to Yunjing Pavilion for a little. You’ll come with me, right?”
“Can I stop you?” Yankui asked bitterly.
Gui Linghuo smiled slightly. “You know that I’m much better now. Besides, I promise you that I won’t overstress myself. If it’s something difficult, I won’t get involved. I just want to make sure that Yunjing Pavilion is safe.”
“And if it isn’t?”
Gui Linghuo pursed his lips. “A-Kui…I promise, I won’t go too far.”
“Well, you don’t exactly have a great track record,” Yankui said, pulling his hand from Gui Linghuo’s grip. He rolled his eyes. His legs crossed and his foot lightly nudged Gui Linghuo away from him, forcing the older man to take a few steps back.
Gui Linghuo looked at Yankui helplessly before he glanced at the foot that rested on his stomach.
“I’ll go with you, but only to prevent you from doing something stupid,” Yankui said with a haughty tilt of his chin as he gave Gui Linghuo a light kick.
Gui Linghuo took another two steps back before walking forward and bringing Yankui into a tight hug. He kissed all along Yankui’s cheek until the younger man struggled to shove him aside.
“Enough! Stop that!” Yankui protested as he pushed at Gui Linghuo again.
“My baby is the most understanding person in the world,” Gui Linghuo said with a bright grin.
“You’re an idiot,” Yankui said, glaring at him in return. He nudged Gui Linghuo aside and watched as the man left his side to begin packing.
His brows furrowed tightly. He glanced at his fingertips, the light embers flickering unnaturally strong. In fact, since a few days ago, Yankui had also wanted to see what was going on outside of Kunlun. It wasn’t time for…that thing to appear, but with all the setbacks Half Moon Cult had experienced, Yankui wouldn’t be surprised if that man had taken extensive measures.
Yankui sighed. He had missed out on the first war, but it seems he would have to be involved in this second one.
Porcelain shattered on the ground. A trickle of blood followed shortly after. The doors were flung open and hurried footsteps stopped at Qin Siyi’s side.
“Shijie, are you okay?”
Qin Siyi looked up with a blank expression. She and Shan Yu looked back down at the broken porcelain cup.
“Don’t move. I’ll call the servants to clean it,” Shan Yu said, quickly attempting to leave Qin Siyi’s side.
“Don’t make a fuss,” Qin Siyi muttered as she crouched down. “It’s just some broken porcelain.”
Shan Yu remained still for a moment before she crouched down to pick up the broken pieces. She glanced at Qin Siyi, who had stopped moving and was staring absentmindedly into space.
“…Shijie?”
“Huh?”
“…Are you okay? It’s not like you to drop stuff,” Shan Yu said hesitantly.
“…Last night,” Qin Siyi sat back on her heels. Her brows were furrowed tightly as the porcelain cut her fingers again. “I…had a dream…I don’t remember what it was about, but I remember the sky turning red. Soot rained down from the Heavens and…the ocean…”
“The ocean?” Shan Yu frowned.
Qin Siyi shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t know, but it felt so real. I can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong.”
Shan Yu gently took the porcelain pieces from Qin Siyi’s hands. She frowned at the damage beneath their feet.
“I didn’t have a dream, but…I do have a bad premonition,” Shan Yu muttered.
“You too?”
Shan Yu nodded. “But it doesn’t make sense. We’ve sorted out nearly everything here. So…”
Qin Siyi pressed her lips together. “I fear that they’re trying to target Shizun now.”
Shan Yu shook her head. “We have to head back to Yunjing Pavilion. My mother can handle the rest and my cousins can figure out…figure out everything else that’s happened with my grandfather.”
Qin Siyi nodded. Her hands wrung nervously in front of her. When her eyes met with Shan Yu, she suddenly realized that the younger woman was thinking the same thing as her.
Last time something bad happened to Gui Yin, the three disciples all had this same, soul-sucking premonition, riling around in their gut.
[gently setting aside the scary things for a moment] Yankui is the cutest, mwah
[picking it back up] OH DEAR;;;;;;;
He’s my cutest baby 😭 thanks for reading!
I hate that demon child so much that i might just throw the next clingy child i meet across the earth.
I swear I feel homicidal, how dare he hurt LangXia and GuiYin.
N e ways..
I don’t know why Gui Yin didn’t ask for proof that Li’s son got lost near the tower…?? And those idiots torturing him, I hope their souls shatter and they never find peace in those few days before GuiYin or anyone else breaks their heads open.
Also, LangXia, please please wake up soon I holding onto my tears until you return