Yue Weiqing let out a long sigh as he placed Sun Langxia’s hand back under the covers. He frowned slightly and looked at the trio who was standing behind him.
“Tell me how this is reasonable? I’ve been traveling around Jianghu, but my Shizun suddenly calls me back home to take care of this hot potato,” Yue Weiqing grumbled. “Why couldn’t he take care of him?”
“How did this happen?” Yankui asked, cold dread falling onto his shoulders. He turned to A-Qi and Wu Feng. “Wasn’t he just injured? I thought he was recuperating. Why is he still…”
“It’s because Master,” A-Qi’s voice trailed off. She glanced at Wu Feng and Yue Weiqing hesitantly. “Because…”
“Your Yīfū has a special ability to see the future,” Yue Weiqing said. He stood up and glanced at the comatose man. “He’d normally faint for a few days, but it seems like this last one took a lot out of him.”
Yue Weiqing shook his head with a sigh and turned back at Yankui. “Looks like he isn’t going to be giving you any help.”
Yankui’s fists balled up at his side. Seeing this, A-Qi stepped forward. “Young Master, if it’s something urgent, you can ask Lord Yue. He’s a trusted friend of Master. Or we can try to wait until Lord Xun returns? He said he was stepping out for a little, but it shouldn’t be too long.”
Yankui didn’t know what to do. With so many conspiracies going on at once, he really didn’t know who to believe. It was easy to say that Yue Weiqing was trustworthy, but hadn’t a monster like Luo Fuhao managed to camouflage himself as Qiao Moyu? If Kunlun had already been infiltrated by filth like that, who’s to say anyone else here was to be trusted? Besides, Yue Weiqing was normally out and about in Jianghu—was it so easy for Xun Yunding to call him back at a moment’s notice just because he needed to step out? What if this wasn’t even the real Yue Weiqing?
“Hey, hey,” Yue Weiqing’s voice snapped Yankui out of his spiral. “Look at me, kid.”
Yankui hesitantly looked up.
“Take a deep breath,” Yue Weiqing said. He breathed in deeply and breathed out slowly. He waited for Yankui to mimic him a few times before he finally stopped. “It’ll be okay. My Shizun said he’ll be back in a few days, so you can—”
“It can’t wait a few days!” Yankui blurted.
The three people looked at him with concern, but Yankui could just haplessly stare at Sun Langxia’s comatose body. He felt like he was going to cry. His entire life, he had never been so out of control of something. Even when he was being tormented by the own person who had a hand in conceiving him, he knew that he wouldn’t die, because he hadn’t wanted to give up yet. But this…?
Yankui took a deep breath and shook his head. He turned to A-Qi. “Miss A-Qi, could I trouble you to deliver a message to Linghuo and the others? They weren’t allowed into Kunlun, so they’re waiting for me at the inn in the nearest village.”
“Weren’t allowed into Kunlun?” Yue Weiqing asked with furrowed brows. “Why is that?”
Yankui hesitated before answering honestly, “The person guarding the entrance said that humans without an escort or a reason to enter are not allowed in.”
“When did such a ridiculous rule…” Yue Weiqing’s voice trailed off. He looked at A-Qi and Wu Feng. “Have you two heard of this?”
A-Qi clicked her tongue. “Even if it was true, it’s most likely just some ruffians trying to make everyone’s lives more difficult.”
She turned and patted Yankui’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Young Master. I will deliver the message to Young Master Gui and them. You just sit tight, okay?”
“Be careful,” Yankui muttered.
A-Qi nodded and quickly left.
Yankui was thus left with Wu Feng and Yue Weiqing. He hesitated a moment before turning to Wu Feng. “Mr. Wu…”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“Did…Gui-laoshi say anything about where he was going before he left?” Yankui asked hesitantly.
“Lord Ninglan?” Wu Feng tilted his head. He slowly shook his head. “The last people he spoke to were you and Young Master Gui, as well as Lord Xun and Su Wen, but I didn’t hear any mention of where he was heading to.”
Yue Weiqing glanced at Yankui. “Has something happened?”
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.
“…It isn’t certain,” Yankui replied. “It’s just that there are some things happening in Yunjing Pavilion, so the Sect Master asked us to find Gui-laoshi and bring him back as soon as we can.”
“Bring back a person whose whereabouts are unknown? Well, isn’t that just looking for a needle in a haystack?” Yue Weiqing muttered with a small shake of his head. He turned to Yankui. “How about this? Let’s bring your friends up to Huigu Palace first. Then, I’ll go search for Lord Ninglan myself. You and your friends stick together until either I or my Shizun return. Does that sound okay?”
Tjcxel cbvvfv. “Tfr, atja rbecvr olcf. Ktjcx sbe, Obgv Tef.”
“Rba ja jii,” Tef Qfldlcu rjlv jr tf rlutfv. Lf uijgfv ja atf mbwjabrf wjc jujlc. “Lbcfrais, lo qfbqif vlvc’a xcbk, atfs’v atlcx P bkfv atlr wjc lc j qjra gflcmjgcjalbc.”
Qlat fnfgsatlcu rfaaifv, Qe Mfcu ifoa ab ufa ybat C-Hl jcv atf batfgr ktlif Tef Qfldlcu ifoa klat tlw lc tbqfr bo yflcu jyif ab ufa j yla wbgf lcobgwjalbc bea bo Ve Qfc jcv atf batfgr.
Yankui remained silently in Sun Langxia’s room. His gaze settled on the man’s sleeping face as his expression pinched. He lowered his head and turned away from the older man.
“…Gui-laoshi…wouldn’t be in trouble right now, right? If he was, you’d be the first one to help him,” Yankui muttered. “If he really was, you’d be awake right now and you’d be going crazy to find him…Unless you didn’t know the situation…in which case…I suppose I also don’t know.
“Yīfū, where could Gui-laoshi have gone?” Yankui asked. “He made it sound like it would just be a short trip, but he still isn’t back…On our way here, Linghuo and Qin-jie both tried to contact him multiple times, but he never answered. Isn’t that very out of character of him? If no one else, he’d at least answer his disciples…”
Yankui turned again to look at Sun Langxia. “You have to wake up soon. He’s probably waiting for you to help him if he is in trouble. So, you have to help him.”
Yankui sighed. He glanced at Langxia’s hand. It was slightly protruding from the covers, despite Yue Weiqing tucking him back in earlier. Without much of a thought, Yankui took Sun Langxia’s hand to tuck it back under the blankets.
But the moment they made contact, his vision suddenly blurred. A sharp pain entered his head and he felt like he was going to vomit. His grip on Langxia’s hand tightened and a moment later, he fainted.
The sun was beginning to set now, signaling that it was the end of another day. Yankui slowly blinked his eyes open. His body was sore, as if he had just been through a long fever. The moment he stirred, he heard noises at his bedside. He looked over confusedly and was met with Gui Linghuo’s worried expression.
“A-Kui, are you okay?” Gui Linghuo asked.
“I…what happened?” Yankui asked as Qin Siyi helped him sit up.
“A-Qi-jie and Wu Feng came to get us. When we came back, you were passed out on the ground,” Shan Yu said. She frowned slightly. “Are you secretly unwell? Why didn’t you tell us before?”
Yankui stared at her in astonishment. “No, I’m fine. I just…”
An image appeared in Yankui’s mind.
“Linghuo, can you get me a brush, paper, and some ink?”
“I’ll go get it,” Wu Feng said.
“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly asking for these things?” Gui Linghuo asked.
“I…I think Yīfū was trying to tell me something,” Yankui muttered.
“What—”
“Stop talking for a second,” Yankui snapped.
Gui Linghu obediently stepped back. When Wu Feng returned with the items Yankui asked for, the group silently watched as Yankui began to draw out the image in his mind. Shan Yu’s brows furrowed tightly as she observed him.
“A map?”
“Map?” Gui Linghuo echoed. He stared at the finished drawing and then looked to Yankui. “Why a map?”
“…When I touched his hand, this image suddenly flashed in my mind,” Yankui said. A bubble of excitement clawed its way up to his chest. “Yīfū must have heard me when I was talking to me, so he gave me a vision. This must be a clue to where Gui-laoshi is.”
“Su-ge and Lord Yue have already gone to look for Lord Ninglan,” A-Qi said. She looked at the map with furrowed brows. “But this wasn’t where they were going at all.”
“The last time Su-ge knew their whereabouts was in Yongxiu,” Wu Feng supplemented.
“This must be where they were headed after that,” A-Qi said determinedly. She turned to the others. “You four stay here. We’ll go look for Lord Ninglan.”
“Wait,” Yankui quickly stopped the two before they teleported away. “Although we know the location, we should still proceed carefully. How about this? You two go and look for Su Wen and Lord Yue. We’ll head back to Yunjing Pavilion and tell Sect Master Lin what we found out.”
Gui Linghuo glanced at Yankui curiously, but didn’t say anything against his plan.
“That…but didn’t you say it was urgent?” A-Qi asked with a frown. Besides, the fact that no one could reach Gui Qinle was already worrying. They should act as fast as they can.
“It is. But…I can’t explain it right now, but there’s more forces at work than you’d expect,” Yankui said. He looked at the people in front for him seriously. “Do not be impulsive and do not act on your own…If something comes up that doesn’t seem right, run away. Do you all understand?”
Qin Siyi and the others exchanged wary glances, but all eventually agreed.
“Don’t trust those who have been away from the group for too long too.”
“A-Kui, what do you—”
“I’m serious,” Yankui said. “They…they might not be so smart or cunning without their leader, but they have more tricks up their sleeves than you can fathom.”
Gui Linghuo’s gaze immediately darkened. “Do you mean…Half Moon Cult?”
Yankui nodded. He turned to A-Qi and Wu Feng. “Please be careful. Although Yongxiu isn’t their territory, I’m sure they don’t lack any informants. If they catch onto your purpose or who you work for…”
A-Qi and Wu Feng nodded in understanding. Since things had escalated to this point, the two of them surmised that this could have something to do with what their master and Lord Ninglan had been investigating. Their master was currently comatose, so Lord Ninglan most likely proceeded on his own. But this…could it be that those people had done this to purposely separate the two of them?
“You kids be careful too,” A-Qi said. She took something from her bosom and tossed it to Qin Siyi. “If anything arises, blow this whistle. Su Wen and us are the only ones who can hear it. We’ll come as soon as we can.”
“Alright, thank you,” Qin Siyi said.
She turned to Wu Feng. “You stay here. I’ll go find Su-ge and Lord Yue. It wouldn’t be smart for all of us to vacate Huigu Palace right now. You should at least stay here in case we have some uninvited guests.”
Wu Feng nodded. “I understand.”
Yankui threw the covers off of himself and began to prepare for their trip back. He chewed at his lower lip as he held an unsettling guess in his heart. If Sun Langxia had actually given them a hint about Gui Yin…did it mean that he was actually in trouble?
“That’s what they said.” Li Huanwei glanced up at the slumped figure in front of him and handed the scroll of testimonies back to his attendant at his side. He tilted his head with a triumphant smirk. “What do you think about all this, Lord Ninglan?”
Gui Yin spared himself the effort of opening his eyes. He showed his minute irritation by breathing a little louder, but he didn’t bother saying a quip.
Li Huanwei’s gaze darkened. “Is that all? You’re not even going to defend yourself?”
“You know…”
Li Huanwei’s eyes narrowed.
“I’ve always wanted to ask you this,” Gui Yin muttered. He smirked as he lifted his head. His scattered hair curtained his bruised face. Although his appearance was horrendous, there was still an impish glint to his eyes. “Why are you so obsessed with me? Do you love me or something?”
A vein bulged at Li Huanwei’s temple. He took the whip from the table and flung it downwards.
Gui Yin trembled as the whip made contact with his body, but that was all the reaction he showed. He scoffed and closed his eyes again. He allowed his head to hang from his neck as he muttered a few more words.
“You and I both know I’m not guilty of any crime, so you can stop questioning me. Just take your measly testimonies and call a conference. I’m sure you’ll find others who are more than happy to take your side anyway. Once they agree, I’ll be up on the chopping block and you’ll have your wish.”
The jail cell was silent.
“Why hesitate?” Gui Yin asked. His head lulled to the side as he peered at Li Huanwei through his hair. “The longer you drag this on, the more suspicious people will become of my disappearance. It’s been…how many days?”
“Seven.”
Li Huanwei glared at the guard at his side, but this only elicited a soft chuckle from Gui Yin.
“A week,” Gui Yin said. “Li Huanwei, oh, Li Huanwei. It’s been a week. Do you really think the people who wait for my reports aren’t anxious? Do you really think the people who wait for me at home isn’t worried? Oh, but I suppose you wouldn’t know what that’s like. I’m sure if you ended up in a ditch today, your wife and Fangyin would never have bothered to look for—”
Gui Yin’s words were tastelessly cut short by another crack of the whip. He sighed and closed his eyes again.
“If you have so much energy to waste on such worthless words—” Li Huanwei threw the whip onto the ground as his chest heaved “—then you might as well save them for your last breath!”
Gui Yin rolled his eyes. He listened to the sound of footsteps growing more and more distant. Once he was sure he was alone, he opened his eyes. The impishness had faded, leaving behind a look of resignation.
A week. His torment had begun a week ago. His cuts stung and his skin was irritated. His thoughts were warped now. Although he said all those things, he was only barely believing them. He knew there were people out there who would look for him, but where would they start? Did they even know anything about his whereabouts? If Langxia was awake, then everything would be easier but…
“Er’lang,” Gui Yin whispered, “…It hurts a lot…I miss you.”
He pursed his lips and let out a trembling sigh. The back of his eyes ached as he sniffled slightly. It was one thing to be bleeding from your nose and mouth, but it was another kind of disgusting if tears and snot mixed in with it. Although he had gotten to this point, he was not willing to show that kind of appearance to his tormentors.
“When you wake up, I hope the first thing you do is tie up Li Huanwei. Hang him over a pit of venomous snakes to teach him a lesson,” Gui Yin grumbled. “He’s so irritating. He thinks he’s all that just—” Gui Yin coughed. “—Just because he has the upper hand right now. He’s just a stupid pawn…what’s he acting so high and mighty for…”
Gui Yin fell silent for a moment before he laughed bitterly.
“The Heavens must really despise me. In the past, I wanted so desperately to die that I even tried to wear my soul down. Now that I’ve discovered some reasons to live, they put me in this kind of situation,” Gui Yin said. He lulled his head back slightly and looked up at the rotting ceiling. “Is it fun? It must be fun. I want to try it too if I have the chance. But I don’t want to play with humans. I want to play with gods.”
Gui Yin allowed his chin to fall back to his chest. “…Langxia, I don’t know if I can get out of this. This is a chance for the cultivation world to take down Yunjing Pavilion after all. Who knows how long those irritating dogs have waited for this opportunity…If I’m not around when you wake up, take care of my disciples for me. And, this is a little selfish, but make sure Sect Master and them are also alright…And you…I miss you, but don’t come look for me so soon. Make sure everything is settled first before you come. If I see that everyone is still unhappy when we see each other, I’ll ignore you.”
Gui Yin chuckled slightly at his imaginary scenario. “I’ll ignore you for an entire reincarnation. That’ll show you.”
Silence filled the jail cell again, save for Gui Yin’s labored breathing.
“I hope you’re fully unconscious,” Gui Yin joked. “Otherwise…these emotions aren’t very pleasant, are they? I always hated that you could read my emotions. It’s so unfair. I want to read yours too.”
Gui Yin’s fingers flexed weakly as he shifted to rest in a more comfortable position. The chain chafed his neck and his wrists, as well as his ankles. He was sure that if Langxia were here, he would cringe at the disgusting state he was in. A small smile appeared on his face again, but he didn’t bother speaking again. As Li Huanwei said, he should save his last few breaths.
Gui Yin’s consciousness began to drift in and out as a heavy tiredness fell on his shoulders.
Since his powers had been sealed, he became tired much easier. His mind wavered slightly and he allowed his eyes to close. Now that Li Huanwei had gathered enough testimonies, his next move was most likely to execute him. Therefore, Li Huanwei and his goons won’t show their faces here again for a while.
It’s going to take a lot of convincing, after all.
So, sleep…just a little bit of sleep…that should be fine, right?
YANKUI LETS GOOOOOOOO
and Gui Yin!!!!!!! aaaaaaaaaaa ;-; ….i’d like to see him mess with gods. i think that would be delightful retribution
;-; unfortunately he does not have the power. thanks for reading!
Noooooo!!! All that torture…. Poor Gui Yin….
What he said about trying to die but being unable to do so, then when he finally has the strength to live he’s dying…. Ahhh just in the feels (´;︵;`)