“That’s it?”
“I told you it would be a short trip,” Gui Yin said.
Ye Liuxing and Jiu Jingyi stared at Gui Yin before exchanging a glance with each other.
“Are you sure you didn’t have to stay for longer?” Jiu Jingyi asked worriedly.
“That was absolutely horrible,” Ye Liuxing muttered. He shook his head. “If I went through that at her age, I’d be traumatized.”
Gui Yin sighed. “She said she needed some time alone, so what could I do? Siyi stayed over there. She’ll contact me if they need my help. And I also left Wu Feng over there.”
Qin Siyi might not report to Gui Yin unless it was absolutely necessary. With Wu Feng there, Gui Yin will know if the slightest problem arises. He was trying his best not to be a helicopter parent, but with the way things stood now, he could afford to be overprotective.
“Is it really okay?” Jiu Jingyi mumbled.
“Only time will tell,” Gui Yin said. “Is the Sect Master any better?”
“Better! He’s much better!” Ye Liuxing grinned. “He’s still not moving much, but at least he doesn’t look like a corpse now.”
Gui Yin chuckled. He touched the bottom of his cup and sighed. “I should visit him.”
“Talk to him some more. I’m sure he’s worried about you,” Jiu Jingyi pointed out.
“I should. I should,” Gui Yin hummed. He glanced at Jiu Jingyi. “Right—wasn’t there a discussion conference coming up? What are you doing having tea with us? Shouldn’t you be getting ready?”
Jiu Jingyi pulled a disgusted expression. “I said I wouldn’t attend. Li Huanwei is hosting it this year. I don’t want to go there just to be mocked.”
“Mocked?” Gui Yin raised a brow.
“Oh, you wouldn’t know,” Ye Liuxing scoffed. “Our Yunjing Pavilion contributed the most, but now people are just sitting around to laugh and wait for our downfall.”
“Yeah. They whisper behind our backs about how great we once were. Now we’re pathetic, without our sect master or the War God,” Jiu Jingyi said. She shook her head. “The people who have business relations with us still haven’t torn their mask off, but I’m sure they’re also snickering about it behind our backs.”
Gui Yin frowned as his fan snapped open. His hair blew back slightly from the rate at which he fanned himself. “What’s even the point? We fall, but does it benefit them?”
“That’s right,” Ye Liuxing drawled. “Yunjing Pavilion does everything, but this is the thanks we get in the end. We should just leave the Ghost Barrier alone and not even bother with Whirlpool Prison anymore.”
“Wasn’t it the same when Elder Shan passed?” Jiu Jingyi said, her voice somewhat suppressed. “Everyone mocked the Zhengyang Shan Sect for years. They’re still taunting them. So many of their allies are looking for an excuse to cut ties with them.”
“When you’re at the top, everyone will butter you up. When you’ve fallen low, they just can’t wait to give you a kick,” Ye Liuxing grumbled. “Without mentioning Yunjing Pavilion, wasn’t Zhengyang Shan Sect also a pillar in the Beidou Alliance? Look at how they’re treating Xiao Yu now. Bunch of heartless bastards.”
Gui Yin silently fanned himself as he listened to Ye Liuxing and Jiu Jingyi’s conversation. “Isn’t it odd though?”
“What is?” Jiu Jingyi asked.
“Two of the Big Three were met with misfortunate. Yin Hua Palace is doing perfectly fine—they’re even flourishing,” Gui Yin said. He snapped his fan shut. “Isn’t it odd?”
Jiu Jingyi and Ye Liuxing glanced at each other.
“That’s…a dangerous thought,” Jiu Jingyi hesitantly said.
Gui Yin’s blank expression bloomed once more. He chuckled softly and shook his head. “I doubt they’ve actually done anything. Li Huanwei isn’t that capable. He’s just a rat who was given a podium. He has neither skills nor the intellect.”
That’s why he was still a petty man who could do nothing but assert his dominance to his partners in bed, yet twitch at the sight of Gui Yin.
A small shift in thought made Gui Yin shake his head in pity. “Now, if his son were Palace Lord, I might think about it.”
“Since you’ve thought in that direction, you don’t think his son could be aiding his father?” Ye Liuxing pointed out.
Gui Yin shook his head. “Li Fangyin isn’t that kind of person. He would never do something as heinous as bringing down others just so he could flourish. Besides, he’s the one who has been looking after Huo’er while I was away. I don’t suspect him at all.”
Jiu Jingyi hesitantly nodded. Although Gui Yin’s statement had made her feel uneasy, a seed of suspicion began to sprout in her mind. How many coincidences did it take until something was no longer just a theory?
Still…
“It was his father’s fault that his little sister died,” Jiu Jingyi said when met with Ye Liuxing’s equally skeptical expression. “I’m sure he harbors resentment towards him. From what I’ve heard, the two siblings were quite close and the Young Palace Lord had changed quite a bit ever since she died. I doubt he would ever work with him.”
Gui Yin nodded in agreement. He thought about it for a while and sighed. “I wonder how the little Palace Lord is doing.”
“It’s been a few months since he’s visited,” Jiu Jingyi said. “He might be coming soon.”
“He has a very regular schedule,” Ye Liuxing agreed. “Besides, I doubt he knows what happened to Linghuo yet, so he might just come expecting him to be here.”
Gui Yin let out a soft hum, but held little expectations for this so-called visitor.
Against his expectations, a few days later, someone really did show up at his doorstep.
Gui Yin was working on paperwork outside when a sound of surprise caused him to lift his head 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.
Li Fangyin stood at the gate, staring at Gui Yin for a long time until Gui Yin stood. He raised a brow at the young man and met him halfway. Li Fangyin’s mouth remained hanging open. Faint sounds escaped his throat, but there was nothing coherent.
Xel Tlc olcjiis ijeutfv jcv ajqqfv tlr jgw klat atf rlvf bo tlr ojc. “Qtja’r kgbcu? Vmjgfv lcab lvlbms?”
“You…Qianbei…you’re really…”
“P’w yjmx,” Xel Tlc rjlv. Lf rtbbx tlr tfjv. “Vtbeivc’a sbeg wfcajilas yf yfaafg atjc atlr? Glv sbe vfnbinf lc atf ofk sfjgr P kjr ubcf?”
“Qianbei!” Li Fangyin happily hugged Gui Yin.
Xel Tlc ugecafv jr tf mjeuta atf atlgas-bvv-biv wjc. Lf rlutfv jcv qjaafv atf wjc’r yjmx. “Cigluta, jigluta. Cgf sbe vbcf?”
Li Fangyin pulled back with red-rimmed eyes. He sniffled slightly and smiled sheepishly. “I just never thought I’d see you again…”
Gui Yin rolled his eyes. “It’s not like I was dead.”
“But you were missing for five years,” Li Fangyin pointed out. He frowned slightly and looked at him seriously. “Where did you even go?”
“It’s a long story,” Gui Yin said.
“Well, you can tell me over some drinks,” Li Fangyin said as he held up the wine he brought. He stilled for a moment and looked around. “Wait, something’s not right. Where are the kids?”
In Li Fangyin’s memory, there would always be people around him whether it was his disciples or his attendants. It was rare to find Gui Yin completely alone. In fact, it even felt wrong.
Gui Yin sighed. “An even longer story. Let’s open a bottle and talk.”
Once the past years and the recent few days were explained, Li Fangyin could only take a few sips in silence. It was shocking. Every detail left him more flabbergasted from the last. He wasn’t sure what was worse—Gui Yin’s story, Gui Linghuo’s story, or what Shan Yu was currently going through. Although most of what Gui Yin said was vague, Li Fangyin could gather a distancing air from Gui Yin.
He frowned slightly and glanced at Gui Yin. “Qianbei, I promise you that no matter what my father is up to, I’m not in on it.”
Gui Yin laughed. “Have I ever accused your father?”
Li Fangyin shook his head. An awkward smile took over his face as his cheery gaze darkened. “However, anyone with a brain would start looking at Yin Hua Palace after everything has happened.”
Gui Yin carefully observed Li Fangyin. “You think so?”
Li Fangyin hesitated for a moment. “Qianbei, there’s absolutely no way your Shuangye Peak would have anyone listening in on it, would there be?”
“Of course not. I would even claim that this place is the most secure place on this continent,” Gui Yin said with a cocky lift of his head.
Li Fangyin hummed. He took a moment to organize his thoughts. “Actually, in the few years you’ve been gone, I’ve started to amass my own power.”
The position of the Young Palace Lord seemed grand on the outside, but all the tasks given to him were menial at best. Most things that held true importance still remained with the palace lord. It had been like this for generations, but when it fell to Li Huanwei and Li Fangyin, the dynamic began to shift.
Li Huanwei was arrogant and proud, but he had never been fit to be Palace Lord. If it weren’t for the fact that Yin Hua Palace treasured lineage over competency, then Li Huanwei might have never had a chance at all. That was one of the many reasons that Li Huanwei married his current wife. Not only was she a great strategist, she also came from a knowledgeable family. With her at his side, Yin Hua Palace would be able to keep its prominence as well as continue the tradition of passing the mantle on through their lineage.
Luckily for Li Huanwei, they gave birth to Li Fangyin as their first born. He inherited his mother’s quit-wit and calculatedness, as well as his father’s arrogance that had been tempered to confidence through others’ guidance. All in all, Li Fangyin was most suited to become the next Palace Lord and the line of succession would continue.
Before the war, Li Fangyin had refused to accept any more tasks than the previous Young Palace Lords had been given, but once everything ended, Li Fangyin began to grow suspicious.
He mended his relationship with his mother on the surface and slowly gained the support of Yin Hua Palace’s elders. Through this, he was able to look into records and communications that he never would have had access to before.
“The point is,” Li Fangyin said, “Yin Hua Palace is clean. Everyone who holds power supports me.”
“But…?”
“But there are numbers that don’t add up.”
Funds were disappearing under the accountants’ eyes and they could never be properly traced to anyone. Ever since Li Fangyin took over more duties, Li Huanwei had been disappearing from the palace more and more, but Li Fangyin’s people could never track him down. Realistically speaking, with his father’s cultivation, there was no way he could escape when so many people had their eyes on him.
“So, you suspect he’s doing something unfavorable,” Gui Yin said.
“I hope not,” Li Fangyin said. “But it’s suspicious, isn’t it? Yin Hua Palace might have been something to sing about in the past, but after it came under my father’s leadership, we’ve been steadily declining. So, how is it that Yunjing Pavilion and Zhengyang Sect have fallen to this state while we’re still standing?”
“Well, you shouldn’t be so harsh on your father,” Gui Yin said awkwardly. “Perhaps, he’s better at preserving things than you think.”
Li Fangyin met Gui Yin’s gaze. “I just can’t help but be suspicious.”
Gui Yin fell silent. Could it be possible that someone as cowardly as Li Huanwei was able to do something so outrageous? Gui Yin couldn’t believe it.
“Your father…might not have a clean record when it comes to family matters, but I don’t think he would get to the point of corruption,” Gui Yin said. He met Li Fangyin’s gaze and looked away. “I don’t believe his ambitions stretch that far.”
“This is a man who didn’t even bat an eye when his own daughter died,” Li Fangyin said, his gaze darkening. “Who knows what that man is hiding behind his incompetence?”
Li Fangyin finished his cup. “Of course, this is all just an assumption. I hope Qianbei will keep my words in mind and be careful if you need to interact with my father.”
Gui Yin nodded softly.
The subject of Li Yan was still sensitive. To everyone else in the world, she had just been a spare child. But to Li Fangyin, she was his only family.
His own parents were villains in his mind. It wouldn’t be too far of a jump to pin collusion with devil cultivators onto his father’s head too. Gui Yin could understand Li Fangyin’s resentment, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe it. Perhaps it was because there was still something Li Fangyin was holding back from him.
“It’s been hard on you,” Gui Yin said. “During all this, you’ve even taken the time to look after my disciples.”
“It’s what I promised to do,” Li Fangyin said with a smile. “Besides, A-Yan wouldn’t have wanted to see Linghuo like that. Nor would she have been comfortable with leaving the kids’ relationships in shambles. I’m just glad he found that little brat that always hangs around him. He seems like a sweet kid. Aside from…all the stuff he was forced into.”
“He’s cute,” Gui Yin nodded. “He’s the type you want to spoil, but you shouldn’t underestimate him. He can clearly handle his own.”
Li Fangyin laughed. “That’s good! It’s a perfect match for Linghuo.”
Gui Yin glanced at him with a raised brow. “Then, what about you? Have you ever thought of finding someone?”
“I’m still young,” Li Fangyin said. “Besides, I want to warm up my Palace Lord seat before I think about anything else. What about you, Qianbei?”
“Everyone’s been asking or hinting something about this recently. I don’t want to talk about it,” Gui Yin said. He quickly brushed the topic away, leaving Li Fangyin somewhat suspicious.
“So, is there—”
“Fangyin.”
“Understood,” Li Fangyin beamed.
“What else have you been doing with your time?”
Li Fangyin’s eyes lit up mischievously. “It’s a secret.”
“Oh?”
“I would like to trust the people at Yin Hua Palace, but they were loyal to my grandfather first before me. I highly doubt our views would align,” Li Fangyin said. He let out a long sigh and shook his head. “Qianbei, when you have the time, you have to come visit me at Yin Hua Palace. Offer me some guidance like you do with Shan Yu.”
“Are you having a hard time?” Gui Yin asked.
Li Fangyin pouted. “A very hard time.”
“Little liar,” Gui Yin scoffed. “You were just bragging about how everyone prefers you over your father.”
“While that’s true, it’s difficult to decipher who I should trust and who I shouldn’t,” Li Fangyin said. He touched the side of the wine bottle. “I wish there was a surer way to tell.”
Gui Yin lowered his gaze. It was one of the many difficulties in life, especially when it came to being a sect leader.
“How about I give you a gift?”
Li Fangyin looked up curiously. “What gift?”
Gui Yin reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small orb-like metal object. “When it comes across demonic energy, it’ll vibrate.”
“Vibrate?” Li Fangyin took the ball and turned it in his fingers. He looked up at Gui Yin. “What do I need this for?”
“In Zhengyang Shan Sect, there were traces of demonic energy everywhere,” Gui Yin said. He tilted his chin. “You can use that to make sure there aren’t moles in your Yin Hua Palace.”
After returning, Gui Yin suddenly remembered this little trinket. He was going to send it to Shan Yu, but after meeting Li Fangyin today, he figured he should just pass it off to this young man. He couldn’t guarantee that he could visit Yin Hua Palace as freely as he did the Zhengyang Shan Sect, especially since Li Huanwei disliked him.
Li Fangyin nodded in understanding. He smiled thankfully. “Thank you, Qianbei. I will be sure to use it well.”
“Consider yourself lucky. That was going to go to someone else,” Gui Yin softly scoffed. He looked at Li Fangyin carefully. “And you know that you’re always welcome at Shuangye Peak, right?”
Li Fangyin’s eyes widened. He lowered his gaze as his smile slowly widened. “Of course. In this world, Qianbei is probably the only person I can trust.”
Gui Yin felt his heart pinch. “You’ll find someone else in the future.”
Li Fangyin met his gaze.
“In the future, you won’t have to listen to your parents. Yin Hua Palace will be under your feet. And by your side will be a person who cares about you much, much more than I do. And that person will be worthy of your trust. There will definitely be that day.”
Gui Yin grinned as his fan snapped open. “And, when that day comes, you’ll realize that you have so many people to trust that you don’t even need to find me for a drink anymore.”
Li Fangyin laughed. “How could that be? I will never forget Qianbei and everything you’ve done for me.”
Li Fangyin had always been the type to repay the good deeds done unto him. And the bad ones would never be forgotten.
Gui Yin let out a soft sigh. “Well, whatever you want I suppose. Are you going to be staying?”
“For a while longer,” Li Fangyin said. “It’s been a while since I could relax like this.”
He had been hoping to have a few drinks with Gui Linghuo, but running into Gui Yin was a pleasant surprise.
Li Fangyin stayed for dinner but was still reluctant to leave the next morning.
He hung by the gates and looked longingly back at Gui Yin. Gui Yin raised a brow as he fanned himself and waited for Li Fangyin to go.
“Can’t you walk me to the front gates?”
Gui Yin scoffed. “You want me to walk you all the way down the mountain? Fangyin, I’m old. I don’t have that kind of stamina.”
Li Fangyin showed an incredulous expression. He pouted and shifted from foot to foot. “Qianbei doesn’t want me anymore. Didn’t you say that I could always come back yesterday? Now, you’re not even willing to walk me down the mountain.”
Seeing his pathetic appearance, Gui Yin faltered. He sighed and snapped his fan open. “Alright. I’ll walk you down.”
Li Fangyin smiled proudly and waited for Gui Yin to reach his side before they started to descend the mountain. He glanced at Gui Yin and lowered his gaze as he smiled to himself.
“Qianbei.”
“Hm?”
“I’m really glad you’re back,” Li Fangyin said. “I think this world would fall apart if you weren’t here.”
Gui Yin laughed. “Don’t be so dramatic. How could a world fall apart if one person wasn’t around?”
“It would certainly feel like it though,” Li Fangyin said. “There are so many people who want you around, Qianbei. Please be more careful next time.”
“Hm?” Gui Yin glanced at him. “Are you scolding me now?”
“Nagging, at most,” Li Fangyin said with an innocent expression. “You always tell us to be careful, but you never listen to your own advice.”
Gui Yin raised a brow. “I’m plenty careful.”
Li Fangyin showed an unconvinced expression.
Gui Yin sighed. “I’ll be extra careful for you. How about that?”
Li Fangyin chuckled. “Then, you promised.”
“I promise,” Gui Yin sighed. He glanced at Li Fangyin as they neared the bottom of the stairs. He turned to Li Fangyin. “And you! No matter what happens, do not act on your own.”
“Qianbei,” Li Fangyin whined. “I’m no longer a child.”
“I’m serious,” Gui Yin said. “This isn’t a situation that you can handle on your own. If there is any news that you find, tell me right away.”
Li Fangyin’s pout became something closer to a soft smile. He allowed himself to bask in the warmth of another person’s care before finally nodding.
“Alright.”
Gui Yin patted Li Fangyin’s head with a smile. “Good boy.”
Li Fangyin’s smile widened. It had been half a decade since this feeling. He had thought he would never get to feel it again.
Once Gui Yin pulled back, Li Fangyin placed his hands into a deferential salute and bowed low.
“I will see you again next time, Gui-qianbei. Until then, please stay safe.”
“Safe travels,” Gui Yin mumbled.
He watched Li Fangyin fly off before he turned and began to walk up the stairs.
The stairs stretched far ahead. Gui Yin almost felt that the path down had taken slower than the path up. Realistically, he knew that the number of stairs was the same.
His mind was preoccupied with his conversation with Li Fangyin.
Was Li Huanwei really such a person? Though, if Shan Yu’s granduncle could fall for such schemes, why couldn’t someone as petty as Li Huanwei? If that were the case, then wouldn’t some pieces fall into place? For example, why Zhengyang Shan Sect and Yunjing Pavilion had fallen this low, while Yin Hua Palace was still fine could be explained.
But it could also be written off.
Li Huanwei was a naturally cowardly person, despite how much he enjoyed showing off. Since his son was on the battlefield, he had used the excuse to stay at home and “protect” the Upper Realm. Without throwing himself or his wealth into the war, he was able to preserve more of it than most sects in the Upper Realm.
This was something he would do even if he didn’t have his heart demons stirred.
Gui Yin snapped his fan shut.
He shifted onto his opposite foot and turned down the path to Li Hua Peak instead of heading back to Shuangye Peak.
He greeted the few disciples that walked by, but didn’t engage in small talk as he usually might. His mind buzzed and there was only one person he wanted to see at the moment.
Soon, he made it to Lin Cangyuan’s courtyard. He hesitated for a moment before knocking out of habit and gently pushing the door open.
The room was silent.
Things were put away neatly, but it was not in the same fashion as its owner would be keen with. There weren’t papers sprawled out across the tea table. There also weren’t random scrolls and books laid open across the bedside table or the book shelves. The brushes were hung neatly on their rack, instead of resting against the ink stone.
A breath of life lingered in the room, but it was clear that most of it had been unmoved for a long time.
Gui Yin stepped past the silk screen and slowly sat down beside Lin Cangyuan.
YAYYY GOOD TO SEE LI FANGYIN!!! and hmmm to chase the Yin Hua Palace MasterMind theory……. i need more information but there are just too many oddities…. i wonder who is gonna try to power grab 👀
thanks for readinnngg!
Where is Linghuo? It might’ve been briefly mentioned after GY returned and I missed it. I was wondering when GY will visit or talk to him. Is he in a coma or something like the sect leader?
oh we commented at the same time so i happened to see this! Gui Linghuo is recuperating at Lord Xun’s springs, chapter 79 is when he goes!