The brush was thrown onto the desk. It landed with a harsh clack and then rolled off until it hit the ground.
Situ Hong rubbed his face and pointed at the corpse. “Try again. Tell me again.”
Tian Xiewen stared at Situ Hong before pulling the cloth back down and staring at the bludgeoned face once more. “Yep.”
“’Yep’ what?”
“Yep, it’s him.”
“Who. Say it. Tell me who.”
“…It’s the servant that I saw talking to that guy from the Wu Rong S—”
Situ Hong screamed. Tian Xiewen jumped and dropped the cloth back onto the corpse. He rolled his eyes and took the time to rearrange the cloth again as Situ Hong threw a tantrum. Zhou Ying’an frowned as she supported her chin with her palm.
“That’s most unfortunate. Our only lead has been murdered too and the little girl in your sect says she didn’t see the murderer’s face,” Zhou Ying’an sighed.
Situ Hong sat up. “Maybe Yu Lan knows!”
“Wu Lingtian arrived after everything was settled,” Tian Xiewen said. “He wouldn’t have seen anything.”
Situ Hong screamed out a curse word again and thrashed his legs. He stood up; his normally immaculate hair had turned into a bird’s nest. “This can’t be it. No. There’s got to be something else at the crime scene.”
“Sit back down,” Zhou Ying’an pulled him back in and pushed him into a chair. “We’ve quadruple checked so many times over the past four days. If there still was something there, then we must be blind.”
“So, what? Three murder cases during the Zhuixing Conference, and none of them are solved.”
“Well, one is solved,” Tian Xiewen tilted his head towards the corpse. “Our friend there was a killer.”
“But the mastermind still hasn’t been caught and our killer is also dead! How could this be considered a shut and done case?” Situ Hong groaned.
“Well, there isn’t much else we can do. At least we proved that no one from Screeching Sparrow Sect was involved,” Zhou Ying’an paused. “But…”
“But?” Tian Xiewen looked to her.
“…Well, I’m sure you’ve already noticed this, but,” Zhou Ying’an glanced at the corpse. “A member of your sect was present at every murder. Sect Leader Fan was the one who discovered the first one right?”
Situ Hong froze. “…Was this all to frame Screeching Sparrow Sect? For what? Because they don’t like Yu Lan?”
“It can’t be that simple,” Zhou Ying’an frowned. “There’s got to be something more. The medicinal sects and the matter of the puppets—they’re tied together somewhere.”
“And how do we figure out how?”
“No clue,” Zhou Ying’an answered swiftly. “At any case, we won’t be able to find it out here anymore. This person…the mastermind, probably killed this person to eliminate any possibility of finding them. If that were the case, even if we stayed here for months, we won’t be able to find the culprit.”
Situ Hong groaned. “Those old hags are going to riot.”
“People who haven’t done anything wrong have nothing to worry about,” Zhou Ying’an said. “That’s what we’ll tell them.”
“But then, what have the other three that got murdered done wrong?”
“You’d need a person of medicine to work on the puppets,” Zhou Ying’an said.
Tian Xiewen glanced at Zhou Ying’an. Surprisingly, her line of thinking was similar to Wu Lingtian’s.
“At any rate, we’ll figure out a way to package this nicely,” Zhou Ying’an sighed. She turned to Tian Xiewen. “You can go back now. Prepare to leave, also.”
“Good luck, you two,” Tian Xiewen said with a faint wave of his hand.
After leaving the inn Frost Cliff Pavilion were staying in, Tian Xiewen moved quickly back to his own inn to report his findings.
Ren Yizhou’s frown deepened when they heard of the news. “Is that all?”
“That’s all,” Tian Xiewen spread out his palms.
“So, we’ll be able to go back in a few days,” Ren Yizhou mumbled. They turned to Tian Xiewen. “Let’s go see what Fan Yi and Lingtian think about this. I’m sure Lingtian still has business of his own to take care of.”
Tian Xiewen nodded and decidedly followed Ren Yizhou to the room across the hall.
After a light knock, no one answered. Tian Xiewen frowned and knocked again. However, there was still no answer. After another moment, Tian Xiewen gently pushed the door open and peered in.
From the bed, Tian Xiewen could see a head poking out from the covers. To be precise, there were two heads, but only one had turned to look at the door.
Wu Lingtian’s brows were furrowed as he glared at the door that had just opened. He grunted and shifted to make himself more comfortable against the pillow again before pulling Fan Yi closer to him again.
Since Fan Yi hadn’t been sleeping well the past few days, he was currently sleeping like a log. His head rested against Wu Lingtian’s shoulder and even when he was jostled, he didn’t show signs of stirring.
Tian Xiewen slowly closed the door and ducked back outside.
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.
“Qtja’r kgbcu?” Efc Tlhtbe aglfv ab qert atf vbbg bqfc, yea kjr rabqqfv ys Kljc Wlfkfc. “Qtja jgf sbe vblcu?”
“Ktfs’gf riffqlcu,” Kljc Wlfkfc rjlv kbbvfcis. “Ofa’r pera ifa atfw gfra.”
Efc Tlhtbe tfjgv atf raloocfrr lc Kljc Wlfkfc’r nblmf, yea vlvc’a ybatfg ab defralbc tlw.
Only when night fell and it was time for dinner did Wu Lingtian wake Fan Yi up from his slumber.
The man stirred in his arms but seemed reluctant to part with the warmth. He scooted closer once the blanket was lifted and wrapped himself around Wu Lingtian like an octopus. Wu Lingtian watched this scene as if he were watching a miracle happening right before his eyes. He felt the other man pressing against him and felt a flicker of excitement.
Still, he didn’t have any thoughts or feelings outside of that. He gently shook Fan Yi again.
“Sect Leader, wake up,” Wu Lingtian whispered. “It’s time for dinner.”
“…Dun…”
“If you don’t eat now, you’ll get hungry later.”
“Mm…I’m a cultivator…” Fan Yi murmured sleepily into Wu Lingtian’s chest. His lips faintly brushed against Wu Lingtian’s exposed clavicle. “A-Tian, just a few more minutes.”
Wu Lingtian laid back down and let Fan Yi cling to him in silence. He glanced down at the other man once in a while and hoped that his heart wasn’t too loud in his chest. He could feel that the beats were erratic, but maybe in Fan Yi’s sleeping state, he wouldn’t notice.
“…Sect Leader,” Wu Lingtian tried calling out again.
“Mn,” Fan Yi sighed. He slowly untangled himself from Wu Lingtian and sat up with the dazed look of someone who had just awoken. He looked back down at Wu Lingtian and smiled. “Did you sleep well?”
Wu Lingtian nodded. “Really well. I didn’t have nightmares.”
Fan Yi laughed faintly. He moved to put on his shoes. “Who knows if you’re lying or actually telling the truth.”
Wu Lingtian sat up and looked at Fan Yi’s back. His gaze slowly drifted down to Fan Yi’s waist. It would definitely be an easy feat to wrap an arm around him.
“I’ll tell the kitchen to make you congee,” Fan Yi stood. He looked back at Wu Lingtian. “Is that okay?”
Wu Lingtian nodded obediently. “Thank you, Sect Leader.”
Fan Yi smiled and rubbed Wu Lingtian’s tangled hair. “Try and brush this out. I’ll be right back.”
Wu Lingtian fiddled with the ends of his hair for a moment before standing and looking for a comb. He sat down at the vanity and propped the copper mirror up. He used his fingers to undo the worst knots and then carefully began pulling his brush through. After a few minutes, his hands eventually stopped. He looked back over his shoulder at the door that was still closed and put the brush back down.
He walked back to the bed and laid back down.
He was too lazy. His hair was too long. His arms were tired.
After a moment, a short puff of laughter came from Wu Lingtian.
How long has it been since he had such trivial complaints?
Although Wu Lingtian seriously tried to recall, he still drew up a blank. Not because it had been a long time, but he really couldn’t remember much. Still, Wu Lingtian comforted himself, it was good that he had these complaints again. The more he dwelled in this space, the more he noticed how comfortable he felt.
Maybe, before his memory loss, this was the type of person he was.
Lazy. Clingy. Perhaps even a bit possessive.
The door creaked open. The candles that had yet to be lit suddenly glowed and burned again. Fan Yi raised a brow at Wu Lingtian’s sprawled form and walked over to him.
“What’s wrong? You’re not feeling well?”
Wu Lingtian sat up again. “I missed you.”
Fan Yi laughed. “How come you’re like a big baby? Even Li Qing wouldn’t say that.”
Fan Yi picked up a lock of Wu Lingtian’s hair. “What’s this? You didn’t brush your hair.”
“I don’t feel like it,” Wu Lingtian admitted.
“But you have to,” Fan Yi said. He walked over to the vanity and came back with a comb. “Sit up properly, I’ll brush it for you.”
“If you treat me like this, I really will become a big baby,” Wu Lingtian said, but still turned his back to Fan Yi without protest.
“Hey, I’m only doing this because you still seem unwell,” Fan Yi chuckled softly. “Don’t think about depending on me like this for the rest of your life.”
“What should I do if I want to?” Wu Lingtian asked.
“Find a servant,” Fan Yi rolled his eyes. “Or a lover that loves you so much, they’ll pamper you like this.”
Wu Lingtian contemplated silently for a moment before speaking again, “Didn’t Sect Leader say his father always took care of everything for his mother?”
“You remember that?” Fan Yi asked, a bit surprised. He hummed. “That’s true. The old man was a unique breed of romantic. I bet it’s rare to find another like him.”
“Maybe,” Wu Lingtian said, almost noncommittally.
“What?” Fan Yi jokingly tugged at Wu Lingtian’s hair. “You’re going to find someone like that?”
“If I get a cultivation partner, I want someone half that attentive.”
“Are you looking for a partner or a servant?” Fan Yi laughed.
“I would take care of them too.”
“I would like to see you taking care of people,” Fan Yi said. “You’re great at taking care of children, but what about people around your age? Could you do it, I wonder.”
“Haven’t I taken care of you before?”
“Well, I have to admit, you can be considerate at times,” Fan Yi nodded.
“At times,” Wu Lingtian repeated.
“I’ll give you my final evaluation whenever you start spoiling me,” Fan Yi laughed. He lightly tapped the crown of Wu Lingtian’s head with the comb. “But not now. Wait till you get better.”
Wu Lingtian hummed noncommittally. He focused on the feeling of Fan Yi’s fingers running through his hair and closed his eyes again, as if he were going to fall asleep.
“A-Tian.”
“Hm?”
“About the matter of your sword,” Fan Yi started. “You said you don’t remember what happened before you woke up at Screeching Sparrow Sect—that includes your sword, right?”
“It does.”
“Then, is there a possibility that what you had wielded…wasn’t your actual sword, but a replacement?” Fan Yi asked.
Wu Lingtian opened his eyes. “What gave you that idea, Sect Leader?”
“Xiewen and I talked about it—you know how Xiewen is a weapons maker—and we felt that the matter of your sword is riddled with peculiarities. I’m sure you noticed it yourself.”
Wu Lingtian nodded slightly.
“First, it was a sword crafted by the master swordsmith and it was his last sword before retirement, making it not only one of a kind but his best work to date. Second, your soul bound sword shattered, yet it had little rebound effect on you. Besides, the rumor on that is hazy—some say it was shattered when they arrived, others said it shattered before they had taken custody of it,” Fan Yi pointed out. “You, as its owner, don’t even know what exactly happened. Although you do seem to have some type of injury, it doesn’t seem to have anything to do with your sword, but if that isn’t your sword, then how come you can’t summon the real one? Has someone got it locked up somewhere? Now, why would they do that?”
Wu Lingtian flexed his hand again. The past few weeks, he had indeed attempted to call for Yu Lan. Each time, he felt a tugging at his gut, but nothing more. It was as if the Yu Lan Sword was still alive, but had vanished from this world.
“If it’s broken, then its broken, but if it’s still around, then you won’t be able to get another soul bound sword,” Fan Yi said, sounding troubled. “If you continuously use swords that can’t handle your spiritual energy, it might end up harming your health in the long run.”
“Sect Leader.”
“Yes?”
“You just reminded me of something,” Wu Lingtian turned around to look at Fan Yi. “Do you trust me?”
“Of course,” Fan Yi said without hesitation.
“Then, let me borrow your sword.”
“My sword?”
Wu Lingtian nodded. “You said so yourself—I shouldn’t be able to wield another soul bound sword.”
“But my sword has already acknowledged me as its owner, so it’s loyal only to me,” Fan Yi said. “Even if I give it to you, it wouldn’t try to bind to you.”
The black hair slipped off Wu Lingtian’s shoulder as he shifted to better look at Fan Yi. “But swords have a spiritual consciousness. Maybe if it senses that I truly still do have a soul bound sword, it’ll have some type of reaction?”
“That reaction would involve you getting hurt,” Fan Yi said. “I refuse your request.”
“I won’t get hurt. Isn’t it just wielding a sword? I’ve wielded many swords that weren’t my own before,” Wu Lingtian said, the words escaped from his mouth before he fully registered what it meant. “Each time, I came out fine.”
Fan Yi was silent. His eyes roamed Wu Lingtian’s face and Wu Lingtian could see nothing but himself and the quiet pity that those eyes used to look back at him. He felt a hand on the top of his head. The hand pressed down and gave Wu Lingtian’s hair a rough toss.
“I’ll let you hold my sword,” as he said that, a faint blue glow came from Fan Yi’s palm. In a matter of seconds, a sleek black sword appeared. “But don’t overdo it.”
“Of course,” Wu Lingtian accepted Fan Yi’s sword with a hint of anticipation.
He stepped from the bed and looked down at it curiously in the light of the candles. This was possibly the first time he had seen Fan Yi’s sword so close up. The other various times he had met this sword, the sword was either aimed directly at his neck or was flashing too quickly before his eyes to even get a good look. Now, the perfectly weighted sword rested in the palm of his hand.
It was unlike Yu Lan, the sword that Wu Lingtian was familiar with. For one, the blade of the sword was black, like the Stygian Iron that worked to seal a cultivator’s spiritual energy. The blade glinted coldly, exuding a quiet deadliness that reminded Wu Lingtian vaguely of Fan Yi when his smile became the widest. His eyes traveled from the tip of the sword down to the guard.
Wu Lingtian’s fingers gently traced the words engraved into the flat of the blade. “Tiānyá (天涯).”
He looked towards Fan Yi. “Why is it named Tianya?”
“There are a lot of reasons,” Fan Yi smiled. “Which reason do you think is best suited for me?”
“Tianya…the horizon,” Wu Lingtian said. He looked at the sword concentratedly. “Everyone in the world is someone who has lived through misfortunes.”
Fan Yi laughed. “That’s a good idiom.”
“If not, then is it ‘No distance is far enough to separate a true friend’?” Wu Lingtian pondered.
“Oh, that’s a lovely poem,” Fan Yi nodded in approval.
Wu Lingtian looked over his shoulder. “Which one is it?”
“Any and all,” Fan Yi grinned.
Wu Lingtian looked at him with slight dissatisfaction.
“This is my second sword,” Fan Yi lightly tapped the flat of Tianya. “My first sword was named Wúyōu (无忧).”
He let out a soft laugh, “That explains my personality perfectly, doesn’t it? I just wanted to be carefree and unrestrained. I didn’t care much about inheriting the sect—I wanted even less to just remain in one place. But then…everything happened. Wuyou died along with everyone else. When I found this sword, I didn’t name it for a long time. I didn’t want to.”
He looked to Wu Lingtian with narrowed eyes and a small smile, “But then guess what happened?”
“What happened?”
“A lot of things!” Fan Yi laughed. “I met people who suffered just like me. I parted ways with those that I thought would be by my side forever. I established my own sect and I stood at the top of the world. At the end of all that, there was one day when I was watching the sun set. It sank just below the horizon and I suddenly remembered I hadn’t named my sword yet.”
The slender finger tapped the two characters etched into the blade. “So, I named it Tianya.”
Fan Yi sighed. “It’s a reminder. The world is full of people who are suffering alongside you and those you cherished, no matter how far they are, will always be by your side. I think my sword quite likes its name.”
Wu Lingtian looked back down at the black blade and felt that it wasn’t as horrifying anymore. This was the weapon that accompanied Fan Yi through his hardest times.
“Try it,” Fan Yi said. “See how it is.”
Wu Lingtian stepped into the open part of the room and swung the sword a few times. His spiritual energy was easily swallowed by the sword, but to actually utilize it proved to be challenging. Still, Tianya didn’t seem to hate Wu Lingtian’s presence. Although the effects didn’t directly hit his core, Wu Lingtian could still feel a light pulsation as he withdrew and handed the sword back to Fan Yi.
“How is it?” Fan Yi put the sword away and hurried to help Wu Lingtian stand.
Wu Lingtian looked at Fan Yi silently.
Fan Yi frowned and reached for Wu Lingtian’s wrist, just narrowly missing the way Wu Lingtian’s eyes seemed to darken the longer his gaze rested on him.
“Sect Leader trusts me a lot, it seems. Tianya didn’t reject me very much,” Wu Lingtian willingly let Fan Yi take his wrist.
“Of course, I trust,” Fan Yi said, still insisting on checking to make sure Wu Lingtian hadn’t suffered any internal injuries. He breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m guessing that didn’t yield any results?”
“It did,” Wu Lingtian said.
“Really?” Fan Yi looked to him eagerly. “So, do you still have a sword?”
Wu Lingtian remained silent.
“…Then, you don’t,” Fan Yi seemed to deflate a little.
Wu Lingtian’s fingers twitched at his side. He really wanted to hug the man in front of him.
“A-Tian, say something,” Fan Yi frowned as he began to feel a bit panicked. “Or are you feeling unwell?”
“Sect Leader.”
“Yes?” Fan Yi watched him attentively.
“I actually couldn’t tell anything.”
Fan Yi’s fingers clenched into a fist. His lips curved up to reach his ears. A short “haha” left his mouth as he resisted the urge to hit Wu Lingtian. “Of course, you didn’t. Why did I expect anything more from you?”
Wu Lingtian’s lips curved at the corners. “…Sect Leader, don’t be mad. I was just teasing.”
“Mad? Me?” the smile stretched even tighter. “Never. Never towards you.”
Fan Yi laughed again. “I’m going to check on the congee.”
Just before the door closed, he threw out one last “hah!” and let the door slam shut behind him.
Wu Lingtian sat down on the edge of the bed and cupped his hand over his mouth. A smile curved against his palm.
What to do? He really liked messing with Fan Yi.
Wu Lingtian enjoyed holding Fan Li’s sword 🙂
Is anyone going to ask Wu Lingtian if Fan Yi is trying anything weird, again? Because that gets a little funnier every time he hangs on Fan Yi and doesn’t let go.
i am like 80% certain that Fan Yi in a previous chapter somewhere said that he would be half as attentive as his father. so when Wu Lingtisn says he would find someone like that… he was hinting at Fan Yi….
hehehehe WLT doesn’t know what subtle means–
and yet it doesn’t seem to click for Fan Yi. i was about to joke that perhaps Wu Lingtian should straight up say “I like you” but then i remembered (and also have it screenshot):
“A-Tian, you have someone you like?” Fan Yi asked.
“…Mn.”
…
“Tell me, who is it?”
“You…”
“Me? Me what?”
“…You should stop asking.”
LIKE LITERALLY. AS YOU SAY, NOT SUBTLE. but no. nope. right over his head. (i love that but also aaaaaaahhhhhhhh)
SDKFJA;HGH LOLTHE RECEIPTS 😭😭😭😂