“You saw…nothing?”
Wu Lingtian nodded woodenly. “I saw absolutely nothing.”
The elders sat around and stared at Wu Lingtian, who stood at the center of the hall with only Fan Yi by his side. The atmosphere, which hadn’t been great to begin with, began to tense as the words he spoke settled in with the crowd.
“That should be enough, right?” Wuma Qiongling was the first to speak after a long stretch of silence. “Let’s call the meeting and we can all finally go home.”
“Preposterous! We haven’t even gotten down to the bottom of things!” an elder shouted.
“That’s right! Three people have died without explanation!”
A chorus of “that’s right” and “we have to!” arose amidst the members who were allowed into this meeting.
“Besides, isn’t it strange that during every murder, there was a member of Screeching Sparrow Sect present?” someone mumbled quietly.
The room dropped to an abrupt silence.
“The murder was killed and there is no other line of evidence,” Situ Hong interrupted. “Frost Cliff Pavilion will continue to keep an eye out in order to bring justice to Wu Rong School and Xiuxing Academy, but for now, it would be best if everyone drops the issue and returns home.”
“I just think it’s a bit ridiculous,” someone scoffed.
Wu Lingtian glanced in the direction of the voice and realized it was the annoying person who had stopped him in the street. He withdrew his gaze and continued looking forward.
“This is Yu Lan Immortal we’re talking about,” Hong Fu smirked. “Isn’t he known for his amazing memory? Hasn’t he always stuck his nose into cases and solved them immediately? Wan Li Sword Immortal’s sniffer dog shouldn’t so easily lose the trail, right? He was even at the scene of the crime, but he just walked off. Isn’t that just a bit suspicious?”
“You’re spewing utter nonsense,” Situ Min snapped.
“Min’er,” Situ An frowned.
“The night was dark and he had to take care of a frightened child! Would you have any time to worry about a crime scene?” Situ Min ignored his father. He glanced at Li Ran, sitting peacefully in the corner. “And, wasn’t there someone else at the crime scene? Why don’t you ask Sect Leader Li if he saw any evidence lying around?”
“Wh—Sect Leader Li arrived there after Yu Lan Immortal did!” Hong Fu defended himself.
“According to witnesses, they arrived at relatively the same time,” Situ Min said. “If you’re going to recklessly accuse people, at least don’t be so obvious about a specific target.”
“A-Min, that’s enough,” Situ Hong’s face twitched as he tried to hold back a smile. He gripped his little brother’s arm and dragged him back a few paces. He clasped his hands together and bowed in Li Ran’s direction while only casting a glance at Hong Fu. “My little brother is still young. Pray these two cultivators don’t take it to heart.”
“Of course not,” Li Ran smiled softly.
Hong Fu scoffed and turned his attention back to Wu Lingtian. “Then, what about those things you fought, huh? You didn’t think to just spare one of them? You’re usually so quick on your feet, don’t tell me you made that rookie of a blunder.”
Wu Lingtian remained silent. His gaze was focused somewhere between Sect Master Zhong’s feet and his own. His lack of response made the others fidgety.
An awkward silence descended on the room.
Fan Yi shifted closer. “A-Tian?”
“Sect Leader,” Wu Lingtian answered naturally.
“Are you okay?” Fan Yi lifted a hand and pressed it lightly against Wu Lingtian’s forehead to make sure he wasn’t feverish again.
“They were discussing something unrelated to me,” Wu Lingtian said. “I have no input.”
“…Yu Lan, Young Master Hong over here was actually asking if you noticed anything about the three attackers,” Sect Master Zhong said.
“Young Master Hong?” Wu Lingtian looked around, seemingly confused.
“Over there,” Fan Yi helpfully tilted his chin.
Wu Lingtian’s eyes fell on Hong Fu. “Ah. I didn’t hear anything.”
He let out a soft sigh and put on a troubled expression. “All I heard was a dog barking. I only speak human language, unfortunately.”
“You—”
“My time is also quite precious,” Wu Lingtian said. “I promised the disciples I would treat them to a meal once we get back, so it would be in my best interest if we hurried up.”
“Yu Lan, you’re being extremely rude right now!” someone shouted.
“Am I the one being rude, or is it everyone here?” Wu Lingtian dropped the cordial act. “It would be better if you just stated you disliked me and challenged me to a fight. I never liked word games.”
“Now, don’t jump to conclusions!” one of the quieter elders straightened. “Lord Yu Lan, none of us meant to offend you! We merely want an explanation.”
“I see,” Wu Lingtian said. “So, that must be why everyone is sitting as a council member as if to pass their judgement on the validity of my statement. Very well.”
Fan Yi frowned. He moved forward and whispered, “A-Tian.”
“But I am not obligated to give you an explanation,” Wu Lingtian reached back and held Fan Yi’s hand. He gave him a squeeze of reassurance. A smirk graced his face, giving Wu Lingtian’s handsome face a roguish quality. “I said all I needed to say already. Even if you trap me here, chain me up, and lock me in a cell, my answer will still be the same. I saw nothing, I did nothing, and I, Wu Lingtian, have a clear conscience.”
His gaze inadvertently slipped towards Li Ran’s side of the room before pulling back to his main audience.
“Then, if that is all,” Wu Lingtian bowed his head. He turned on his heel and started to leave, but abruptly stopped and looked back. “Also, my doctor told me I’m still recovering from my misfortune. So, unless you are from the Hall of Impartiality, Frost Cliff Pavilion, or Black Scales Palace, kindly turn the other way when we meet on narrow roads.”
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.
Qe Olcualjc’r ujhf ofii bc Lbcu Me. “Yg, ktb xcbkr ktja P’ii vb ab gfilfnf ws ragfrr.”
Qlat atja ijra rajafwfca, Qe Olcualjc tfiv bcab Mjc Tl’r tjcv alutais jr tf ifoa klatbea kjlalcu ab tfjg jcsbcf firf’r qgbafra.
Vfma Zjrafg Itbcu ibkfgfv tlr tfjv ab xffq jcsbcf ogbw rfflcu tlr rwlif. Lf kjnfv tlr tjcv abkjgvr Ze Wlcu, ktb rafqqfv obgkjgv jcv mifjgfv tlr atgbja.
“Meeting dismissed. Everyone is advised to return to their sect. The remainder of the Zhuixing Conference has been cancelled.”
The soft gurgling of the stream was the only sound that could be heard in the surrounding area. Birds fluttered and flapped by, singing songs the accompanied them during their journey. The leaves rustled as the remainders of the warm summer months finally left them alone.
There was a rustle in the tree branches.
The approaching footsteps lightened and soon came to a stop.
“So, you were hiding up here,” a loud groan interrupted the peaceful surroundings.
Wu Lingtian hummed noncommittally. He felt the tree shake and sensed the presence of another person beside him, but he simply adjusted his straw hat and kept his eyes closed.
“Wu Lingtian,” Situ Hong jumped up and down on the tree branch, causing the tree to shake even more. “Get up! I spent three hours combing through the entire mountain to look for you!”
“What a useless feat,” Wu Lingtian mumbled. He yawned and turned onto his side.
“I have to fill you in on the gossip!” Situ Hong groaned irritably. He crouched down and leaned over Wu Lingtian. “Don’t you want to know how we cleaned up the mess you left behind?”
“I’ve always been someone who tidies before they leave anymore. There wouldn’t have been a mess for you to clean,” Wu Lingtian turned on his side.
Situ Hong scoffed. “As if! You don’t know how angry those old coots were after you left. They said that you’ve really grown a new pair of wings. Some were even snarky and asked what was so great about being a traitor. A-Min and Shijie were so indignant! I thought the entire room was about erupt in flames from your shijie’s weapon. But then guess what happened?”
“I’m not actually interested,” Wu Lingtian’s brows furrowed. He lifted his hand and waved at Situ Hong as if he were swatting away a fly.
Situ Hong easily caught Wu Lingtian by the wrist. He pressed the arm against his chest and leaned against his bicep as he continued, “Lord Wuma actually spoke! He said if everyone has so much time gossiping and talking bad about a fellow cultivator, then they should go home and fix up the mess they call a sect since there seemed to be a powerful enemy lurking.”
“Lord Wuma truly does know how to shut people up,” Wu Lingtian opened his eyes. He craned his neck to look over his shoulder at Situ Hong. “By the way, he received my letter, right?”
“Probably,” Situ Hong nodded. “Your sect left so abruptly that people were half-packed before they even realized.”
“That’s good. I still have to give him information about Yu Shui Manor,” Wu Lingtian yawned and closed his eyes again. “That means he should be visiting soon.”
“About that,” Situ Hong made himself comfortably leaning against Wu Lingtian’s side. “Just how much will you actually tell him? Xiao-ge’s Yu Shui Manor has layers upon layers of arrays. If he isn’t careful, he could get lost in there for an eternity.”
“He monitors everything from inside,” Wu Lingtian mumbled. “If he senses a familiar presence, he’s bound to let them in.”
“You think so? But what if he really doesn’t want to see Lord Wuma?”
“Then Lord Wuma will just be spit back out. It’s a lover’s dispute, not a centuries long fight to the death rivalry,” Wu Lingtian shrugged his shoulder, but Situ Hong still didn’t budge. His cold eyes opened and he looked at Situ Hong. “Are you not going to move?”
“If I move, you’ll just ignore me,” Situ Hong shook his head. “If I’m like this, you can’t ignore me even if you closed your eyes.”
“You’re so goddamn annoying,” Wu Lingtian grumbled.
“If you really didn’t want me here, you’d just throw me off,” Situ Hong draped himself completely over Wu Lingtian. He rubbed his head against Wu Lingtian’s chest. “Tiantian, you actually love me a lot, don’t you?”
“…Situ Hong, did you not eat medicine before you came out? Why’s your brain so much duller than it usually is?” Wu Lingtian looked down at the head against his chest.
“How could you say that? I’m just showing affection to my friend!” Situ Hong gasped.
“If you want to get laid, go to the brothel. Even if you flatter me to the ends of the earth, I’m not letting you touch me.”
Situ Hong was unperturbed by his vulgar words and continued to lay against Wu Lingtian. “Silly, if I wanted to get laid would I go to you? Xiao-ge is so much more attractive than you are and Yu Shui Manor is about the same distance as Screeching Sparrow Sect from where Frost Cliff Pavilion is. Plainly speaking, if I really couldn’t find a woman and I was that desperate to find a man, I’d just go to Yu Shui. Why the hell would I come here?”
“You aren’t afraid of Lord Wuma coming to skin you alive after the deed is done?” Wu Lingtian asked.
“Isn’t there a Fan Yi here? The risk is about the same, so why would I go for lesser goods?” Situ Hong asked.
He finally sat up and looked at Wu Lingtian. “Lingtian, I think you’re only cultivation world’s best looking because everyone’s forgotten what Xiao Xunrui looked like after he went into seclusion.”
“What’s the point of being the best looking? It’s being the best fighter that’s most important and I still hold that position on our generation,” Wu Lingtian sat up as well and rolled his shoulder.
“Mm. That’s right. You’re the best. You’re the strongest. You’re the most handsome,” Situ Hong nodded sarcastically. He flourished his fan. “Dearest Yu Lan, what are you possibly lacking in this life?”
“Better friends.”
The fan snapped shut. “You’re really mean, you know that? I came out all this way to talk to you—”
“To find someone to gossip to.”
“—And you treat your guest this way.”
“Uninvited.”
Situ Hong pouted. “Are you really going to be like this!? We’ve been friends for how many years? Yet you still bully me in this way.”
“If you don’t want to be bullied, then just don’t find me to play anymore,” Wu Lingtian stood and stretched out his waist. “No one’s forcing you to continue to find me.”
Situ Hong stood. “I’ll go find Xiao-xiong then!”
“See if he’ll hang out with you. He has a daughter to take care of now. Where has he got the time to bother with you?” Wu Lingtian rolled his eyes.
He turned and jumped down from the tree. Just as he had realigned himself, he found himself staring at the toe of a sleek black boot. He stood, allowing his gaze to travel up with him and looked at the man draped in black before him. The silver snake like hairpiece shined in the morning sun, almost giving the illusion of it dancing through the man’s silky black hair.
“Daughter?” Wuma Qiongling raised a brow. “A-Rui does?”
“A-Rui?” Situ Hong jumped down beside Wu Lingtian. “Who’re you calling A-Rui?”
“He has a daughter?” Wuma Qiongling’s gaze was concentrated on Wu Lingtian.
Although his expression was calm, Wu Lingtian caught a trace of panic and anxiety in his eyes. He slowly lowered his gaze and lightly cleared his throat.
“He does. He said he got lonely over the years, so he…” Wu Lingtian’s voice trailed off mysterious.
“I…I see,” Wuma Qiongling frowned. “Then, is he also…married?”
“He,” Wu Lingtian’s voice trailed off. He glanced at Wuma Qiongling again.
The demon lord’s gaze was downcast. A shadow seemed to cover his face as the light faded from his eyes. However, he didn’t seem like he was on the verge of falling into a maniacal state. This wasn’t someone who was obsessed or crazy, but someone who loved and longed.
“He isn’t married,” Wu Lingtian said. “And his daughter isn’t really his—she’s the daughter of a friend who had unfortunately passed, so he adopted her.”
Wuma Qiongling’s head raised abruptly. “Really?”
“Why would I lie?” Wu Lingtian asked. “Besides, if Xiao-xiong truly was married with a daughter, I wouldn’t have baited you with information. It’s only because I know he also misses you that I decided to offer.”
“Then, will you tell me where Yu Shui Manor is? How do I get there?” Wuma Qiongling took a step closer, the excitement quickly flooding his face again.
“We’ll have to think about it for a bit,” Wu Lingtian admitted. “My memory hasn’t been the best, so I only remember a few from three years back and Situ Hong will have to make up for my memory. We can’t rush it, or else you may end up trapped in his maze for a long time. I hope you understand.”
Wuma Qiongling nodded eagerly. “Of course! I can wait. I’ve waited so long already, waiting a few more days or even a few more weeks is nothing.”
Situ Hong watched Wuma Qiongling and sighed. “Where did Xiao-ge find a silly dog to follow him around?”
“You’re a dog,” Wu Lingtian smacked Situ Hong over the top of his head. He turned back to Wuma Qiongling. “Lord Wuma, if you don’t mind, I will arrange a room in the guest residences for you to stay for the next few days. I presume Young Master Bai is also with you?”
“He is.”
“Then, three it is,” Wu Lingtian nodded. He looked at Situ Hong with disdain. “Let’s go.”
“…How could you treat one person so differently from the other?” Situ Hong asked, obviously a bit hurt.
“One is a guest, another is my lifelong friend,” Wu Lingtian said as he began to march back to the sect. “What do you think?”
Situ Hong immediately lightened up. “That’s right! We’re best friends, aren’t we?”
“…I didn’t say we were.”
“But you did, you just did!”
“I’m not your best friend.”
“Lingtian, it’s okay, you don’t have to be shy,” Situ Hong laughed. “I know you’ve always been awkward since you were a child, but I’ll still stay by your side no matter what.”
Wu Lingtian fell silent as Situ Hong blabbered away.
Wuma Qiongling glanced at Wu Lingtian’s passive expression. For a brief moment, his heart soured. Soon, he looked away again and listened to Situ Hong’s nonsensical blabber.
Heixue Town and the Fengya region were not places where children should be—Wuma Qiongling knew that much. Children there were often orphans or children with abusive parents. No matter what, growing up in that kind of environment wasn’t pleasant. Although Wu Lingtian had the pleasure to be fished from the hell hole before he grew up, that didn’t mean that his experiences were any more pleasant.
Growing up in a place like that teaches you to keep others at arm’s length.
Friendship? What friendship? There’s only survival and self-fulfillment.
This was not something easily understood by those who didn’t live in Fengya.
By the time they reached the sect again, Wu Lingtian had placed a silencing spell on Situ Hong. The man looked indignant but didn’t bother undoing it. The silencing spell would undo itself after half an hour. If Situ Hong tried anything, it would just make his voice raspy and unintelligible. There was no point in talking then anyway.
Wu Lingtian guided his two guests to the service hall. There, one could see disciples coming and going. Some returned with goods from down the mountain while others left with passes and wallets bulging with change. As they weaved past, whenever they caught Wu Lingtian, they would bow and call out respectfully to him.
Seeing this, Situ Hong glanced at Wu Lingtian and lightly nudged him. Wu Lingtian glanced over.
Situ Hong did a set of elaborate mining gestures that was just as obnoxious and somehow loud as it was when he spoke. Wuma Qiongling stared at him in utter confusion. He was just about to ask what he was doing, when he heard Wu Lingtian’s reply.
“Am I scary? The disciples enjoy my presence, so they’ll greet me,” Wu Lingtian frowned at Situ Hong and turned away from him.
Wuma Qiongling glanced between the two men. “And you say you two aren’t best friends…”
“We aren’t,” Wu Lingtian waved his hand.
His stiff expression continued until they made it into the service hall. He led them up the stairs and was just about to step through the door when another person came out.
Wu Lingtian’s eyes widened. He inhaled sharply and took several quick steps forward. Although his actions were subtle, Wuma Qiongling and Situ Hong still snuck glances at each other.
“Sect Leader.”
“Hm? A-Tian,” Fan Yi smiled. He looked behind Wu Lingtian. “I see you have guests? Are you here to arrange the guest rooms?”
“Yes,” Wu Lingtian glanced at the pass in Fan Yi’s hand. “What’s this for?”
“Oh, I’m going to be leaving the sect for a while, so I was making some arrangements on what to do before I leave,” Fan Yi explained.
“Leaving? What for?” Wu Lingtian’s eyes widened. “Where is Sect Leader going?”
“Just a bit of a trip. Something came up, so I have to take care of it,” Fan Yi said. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
“…Then, Sect Leader, when are you leaving?” Wu Lingtian asked.
“Probably tomorrow or the day after.”
Wu Lingtian fidgeted subtly. “If Sect Leader waits another day, I can go with you.”
“What are you talking about?” Fan Yi raised a brow. “I’m going by myself. Besides, you’re not allowed to come along. You’re still…”
Fan Yi’s voice trailed off as he glanced at the two men behind Wu Lingtian again. He amended his words, “You don’t have a sword. It wouldn’t be safe for you to come with me.”
“Sect Leader, are you going somewhere dangerous?”
“Well, not exactly, but it’ll just be easier if I go alone,” Fan Yi smiled.
“Then, I—”
“Be good,” Fan Yi patted Wu Lingtian’s shoulder. “I won’t be gone for too long. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Wu Lingtian reluctantly agreed.
“What?” Fan Yi raised a brow. He bent a bit lower to meet Wu Lingtian’s drooping gaze. “Are you going to miss me? That can’t be, right? Oh, what can I do, A-Tian? If you’re like this then I won’t be able to leave! Don’t make that face. How about this? I’ll give you a kiss to make it up.”
Wu Lingtian looked at Fan Yi unamused. “Sect Leader, this is harassing a subordinate.”
Fan Yi laughed and straightened up. “If you don’t want it then forget it. I’ll be going first; I have something else to do.”
He nodded to the two men as he was leaving and continued down the stairs, past the flood of disciples.
Situ Hong watched Fan Yi for a moment and slowly drew his gaze back up to Wu Lingtian.
“Lord Yu Lan, your face is red.”
“…Let’s head in first.”
“In this state? Are you sure?” Wuma Qiongling asked.
“…Just give me a moment,” Wu Lingtian hid his face slightly behind his hat.
“I would have just kissed him,” Wuma Qiongling said.
“Please…”
“You wanted to.”
“…Lord Wuma, please do not continue,” Wu Lingtian mumbled.
“Does he really not know? I feel like you’re quite obvious,” Wuma Qiongling frowned.
Wu Lingtian wanted to throw his head into a bucket of ice. “I’m not that obvious.”
Situ Hong rolled his eyes and shook his head. He couldn’t speak, but his sentiment could be felt through his actions—“Not obvious? Please.”
“No one else notices. You two are just strange,” Wu Lingtian easily dismissed them. He turned around and headed into the service hall.
However, even as he sorted out the two guest rooms, Wu Lingtian was obviously distracted. He appeared cold and reticent as he normally did. His words were short with disciples, but the disciples seemed to be used to this and continued to chatter with him in the usual friendly manner. After they left the service hall, Wu Lingtian waved his hand vaguely towards Zhu He, who was leading them to the room.
“Zhu He, you lead them the rest of the way. Do you know where your master went?”
Zhu He looked surprised. He thought for a moment, “Master should be back at his residence by now. If not, then he would be at Second Pillar’s residence.”
“I see. Thank you,” after dropping this one phrase, Wu Lingtian hurriedly rushed off, leaving Situ Hong and Wuma Qiongling.
“Not obvious, huh?” Wuma Qiongling scoffed.
Zhu He glanced at the two lords and lowered his head, unsure of what the knowing looks on their faces implied.
Wuma!
Haha Wu Lingtian left a meeting full of cranky elders while holding Fan Yi’s hand but thinks nobody has noticed his feelings. Cute.
oh im extra love this chapter ʕっ•ᴥ•ʔっ
I love wuma