“Before I mentioned it, had you ever heard of Qingyao Manor?”
Wu Lingtian shook his head honestly. A hand came to the side of his head and held him still.
“Don’t move or the comb will tug,” Fan Yi said.
Wu Lingtian remained perfectly still. “Does this have something to do with your family?”
Wu Lingtian only briefly knew about Fan Yi’s past. He didn’t know the specific details of how or why his family died. He felt Fan Yi gather his hair together and pull it into a high ponytail.
“It does,” Fan Yi said. “Qingyao Manor was a medicinal sect from before you were alive. For a long time, they were a nomadic people, but finally decided to settle in what is now Jianshi. They were well-renowned for their medicinal practices. People went as far to venerate them as sage doctors, saying that they could even bring people back from the dead.”
A ribbon was thread through Wu Lingtian’s hair. Once the ponytail was in place, Fan Yi stepped back and sat down at the tea table. Wu Lingtian joined him silently and accepted the cup of tea.
“As time went on, many sects became envious and scared of the public’s favorability towards Qingyao Manor. Then, rumors quickly spread that we had a manual that was able to bring people back from the dead.”
As Fan Yi spoke, his eyes became dull and empty. It seemed as if he were just reciting a story that he had heard on the roadside. There was no emotional attachment in the slightest. Wu Lingtian’s heart clenched, but he said nothing to interrupt him and did nothing to comfort him.
“They slaughtered everyone in Qingyao Manor from the disciples to the servants and finally the main family. They wanted to get into the manor’s vault,” Fan Yi said. “Little did they know, they would have to gather all three pieces in order to access it. At the beginning, they only had one piece, but before they could gather all three, the people who participated in the slaughter began to suffer from ailments like curses and diseases one by one.”
Fan Yi fell silent for a moment before he looked at Wu Lingtian. “You’ve heard of Hei Ming, haven’t you?”
Wu Lingtian nodded. That was a vigilante that came out around the time the rumor of the resurrection manual was rampant. “He killed a lot of leaders of the corrupt faction, which made the cultivation world fall to ruin for some time. He also had a key to find the resurrection manual.”
Fan Yi hummed. “That person was me.”
Fan Yi reached into his robes and produced a small box. When he opened it, the Vermillion Jade Seal within glimmered wickedly.
Wu Lingtian looked at the shard of jade and then back up to Fan Yi. “This is the shard that was on that thief’s body.”
Fan Yi shook his head. “That was an imitation, this is the real thing. At the time, I thought that if there was only one piece out in the world, it would be impossible to replicate it and they would give up. But it seems that someone has been trying.”
The box was closed and tucked away again.
“There is only one reason that someone would be trying to access the vaults.”
“For the manual,” Wu Lingtian said, a slight frown on his face.
Fan Yi nodded. “A manual that doesn’t exist.”
Wu Lingtian fell silent. Why would someone want the manual? “Is it out of desperation to revive a loved one?”
“The person who had this on him was someone’s agent,” Fan Yi said. “That means it was an organization’s effort—not the effort of someone desperate enough to chase a small lead. Since no other news has gotten out about the Vermillion Jade Seal, I think it’s also safe to assume that the body we found accompanying those agents was someone who was only unlucky and had accidentally heard something of their exchange.”
“Do you want to find the final piece and destroy it?” Wu Lingtian asked.
Fan Yi shook his head. “I’ve already destroyed one piece. Without that piece, it’s useless even if you have two pieces. If you try to remake it, it won’t fit either. I’m looking for the final piece to see who the organization leader is or maybe to even figure out what their purpose is. But honestly, I’m grasping at straws. The final piece could be anywhere.”
Wu Lingtian agreed. It was an incident that happened hundreds of years ago. Who knew where the missing piece could have landed? Or who was to say that it hadn’t already been picked up by that person?
“It’s a fruitless search—even I know this,” Fan Yi said. He glanced at Wu Lingtian. “We don’t have to continue on it. To be honest, the most important thing right now is that riddle you received from Xiao Guo.”
Wu Lingtian’s brows furrowed. “Are you sure? I’m sure if we dug around and looked for more information, we—”
“I was just using it as an excuse anyway.”
“An excuse?”
Fan Yi sipped at his tea. “I wanted to get away from you for a little, but we ended up being attached at the hip anyway.”
Wu Lingtian stared at Fan Yi blankly. “Why would you…want to…”
Fan Yi’s face slowly reddened. “What was the riddle again?”
“Sect—”
“It was something about a sparrow and an old magnolia tree?” Fan Yi met Wu Lingtian’s gaze.
It was a mistake. The younger man’s eyes were wrinkled into crescents and there seemed to be a never-ending amount of love pouring into his gaze. His smile was so wide, that even the dimple made an appearance. He held up his hand that housed the ring.
“You already knew you liked me when you gave me this, didn’t you?” Wu Lingtian teased.
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.
“Ktfgf kjr jirb rbwfatlcu jybea rqlvfgr jcv rcjxfr?” Mjc Tl qeiifv tlr ujhf jkjs.
Qe Olcualjc qegrfv tlr ilqr ab xffq tlwrfio ogbw rwlilcu. Lf gfjmtfv bnfg jcv rilqqfv tlr olcufgr yfakffc Mjc Tl’r. “Zc. Ktfgf kjr rbwfatlcu jybea rqlvfgr jcv rcjxfr abb.”
Mjc Tl mbeivc’a yglcu tlwrfio ab ibbx ja Qe Olcualjc’r fsfr, bnfgoibklcu klat ibnf, yea tf jirb mbeivc’a yglcu tlwrfio ab qeii jkjs ogbw Qe Olcualjc’r iluta abemtfr.
Seeing Fan Yi sit so stiffly, Wu Lingtian decided to let him off the hook. He began to recite the story that he had committed to memory on their journey here. However, as he spoke, he couldn’t help but let out a light laugh at the end.
“What?” Fan Yi snapped.
“When we were deciding where to go, were you having trouble telling me that you didn’t actually need to come out here?” Wu Lingtian asked.
Fan Yi glared at him. “That wasn’t the case.”
“That wasn’t the case?”
“Not at all. I just realized after coming here that,” Fan Yi’s words trailed off.
Why was he letting himself get angry in front of this brat? Even his face was reddening. Fan Yi was sure that he had never been this embarrassed in his entire life.
Wu Lingtian’s eyes narrowed like a satisfied cat. He stood and knelt down beside Fan Yi, his head finding a place to rest against the man’s thigh. Out of a newly built habit, Fan Yi’s hand came to stroke down Wu Lingtian’s ponytail. He caught himself a little too late and was caught in a new fit of embarrassment. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
In fact, Fan Yi was an ill-tempered person. It was just, after so many years, he had learned to hide any emotions he experienced behind a smiling mask. While he knew Wu Lingtian disliked that smile the most, he couldn’t help it. But now, it seemed that even if he wanted to hide his emotions behind a mask, he was unable to in front of Wu Lingtian.
“I had a scary thought when I heard the riddle,” Wu Lingtian said, his eyes closing as he indulged in Fan Yi’s cold touch.
“Which was?”
“What if you’re the sparrow and I’m the magnolia tree?” Wu Lingtian asked.
Fan Yi fell silent.
“There are probably more meanings than one, but what if I was warning myself that I would hurt you when I regained my memories,” Wu Lingtian wondered.
“That would be impossible.”
There was no hesitation in Fan Yi’s response. Wu Lingtian opened his eyes and looked up at Fan Yi.
“How do you know?”
“I guess I wouldn’t,” Fan Yi said. “But I just decided to put my faith in you. I don’t think you will.”
Wu Lingtian’s face didn’t betray any excess emotion. He sat back and pressed Fan Yi’s hands against his cheek.
“I won’t hurt you,” Wu Lingtian murmured against his palm.
Fan Yi’s brows furrowed slightly. He kissed Wu Lingtian’s lips lightly before guiding him up. “Why are you on the ground? Sit on the chair.”
Wu Lingtian did as he was told. “As for the other way I thought about it, I figured that the sparrow could be me and the old magnolia tree is probably a reference to the tree in the courtyard of my old residence. Since I made myself a sparrow, that means I was hinting that I could trust you—the leader of Screeching Sparrow Sect. The old magnolia tree symbolizes the sect or a specific person in the sect, since it lied and betrayed me.”
Fan Yi fell silent. “Could it be Li Ran?”
Instinct told Wu Lingtian to say no, but reason held him back. Li Ran had been the cause of all his troubles and the root of all his fears since he woke up, so what makes him think that it isn’t him? In Wu Lingtian’s silence, Fan Yi only watched him quietly.
“At the end of the story, someone else was harmed. I’m guessing it’s hinting to me that people in the sect are innocent—or at least there are a few who are innocent,” Wu Lingtian said.
“Why would that need to be hinted at?” Fan Yi asked, perplexed.
Wu Lingtian looked at the tea leaves that had floated down to the bottom. “I’m not sure. But I think, at that time, I was ready to destroy the world.”
It was a feeling he had. After speaking with Xiao Guo and after experiencing the same nightmares over and over again for the past week, Wu Lingtian was sure he was anything but mentally stable. Something had triggered him and the Wu Lingtian of the past was afraid that, if he got out of his predicament alive, that he would be out for blood.
“But it could also be someone I need to protect,” Wu Lingtian said, his gaze darkening.
“You think it was Xiu Lan?”
Wu Lingtian nodded.
“She should be fine,” Fan Yi said.
“There are far too many variables,” Wu Lingtian said. “Has anyone answered your letter yet?”
Fan Yi shook his head, his brows furrowing.
“I’m a bit worried,” Wu Lingtian said.
“I am too,” Fan Yi admitted. He turned to Wu Lingtian. “Would it be alright if we head back to the sect first? Perhaps we can get Yizhou and Xiewen to help with the riddle.”
Wu Lingtian nodded in agreement. He let out a soft sigh. “I just hope whoever took into Jianshi was one of our people.”
“Miss Xiu?”
Xiu Lan flinched. She looked up as Ren Yizhou stopped at the steps of the gazebo. There was a tray of tea and pastries in their hand. Their head was tilted up just the slightest as they looked forward silently. Xiu Lan shifted somewhat uncomfortably before standing.
“Second Pillar.”
“Sit down, child. Why did you stand up?”
Xiu Lan remained standing and Ren Yizhou remained where they were at the end of the stairs. She fiddled with the edge of her robes, her gaze darting one way and then another. She wasn’t afraid of Ren Yizhou, but she couldn’t help but feel flighty whenever a person approached her. She wanted to run, but she knew she had to fight the urge. It was abnormal after all, wasn’t it? It wasn’t like Ren Yizhou was trying to do anything. Instead, during the week she had been here, they had been extremely nice. Nicer than…
“Miss Xiu?”
“My apologies,” Xiu Lan quickly sat down.
“May I approach?”
“Y-yes! Of course,” Xiu Lan nodded enthusiastically. She paused and lowered her head in embarrassment. Ren Yizhou was blind. What was she nodding for?
Ren Yizhou acted as if they didn’t notice anything odd and stepped into the gazebo. They placed the tray down on the table and sat across from Xiu Lan.
“How are you feeling today?”
“I’m fine. How about you?” Xiu Lan asked, her hands hovering above the table awkwardly as Ren Yizhou poured them each a cup of tea.
“I’m doing well. But I didn’t ask that question to be perfunctory,” Ren Yizhou said, sliding the tea cup over to Xiu Lan.
Xiu Lan glanced at the cup and then up at Ren Yizhou.
“How are your injuries? What about your nightmares?”
“…I’m better. My spiritual energy isn’t as clogged as it was last week. I can bend my wrist a little now,” Xiu Lan said. “The nightmares…”
The answer never came.
What was she supposed to say? That they were gone? Abated even just the slightest? Anything would be a lie. She hadn’t been able to get any sleep the past week as memories of those few weeks tortured her. She didn’t want to believe the person who did those things to her was her shizun, but that man wore his face and had his voice. She squeezed her eyes shut. It was almost as if she could feel his warm hand again, gently soothing her as she cried from a simple scraped knee.
“…Miss Xiu?”
“Second Pillar,” Xiu Lan’s voice was a little gravely. She rubbed at her eyes in embarrassment. “I’m fine.”
Ren Yizhou’s brows furrowed. They knew that, no matter how much they asked, Xiu Lan would never answer. After all, they were just a stranger. Now was the hardest time for Xiu Lan to learn to trust anyone.
“Liang Jun should be back today,” Ren Yizhou said, changing the subject instead. “I’ll send him to you.”
Xiu Lan’s heart hammered against her chest. A spark of excitement passed through her previously dull eyes. “Alright. Thank you, Second Pillar.”
Just as Ren Yizhou said, Liang Jun returned around lunch.
When he arrived, Xiu Lan was just where Ren Yizhou had left her at the gazebo. Her gaze was distant as she stared out over the pond. Her fingers were still bandaged and gauze still peered over the collar of her robes. Liang Jun’s grip on the layered lunch box tightened. He took a deep breath to control his emotions before he called out to her.
The bright voice, filled with warmth, startled Xiu Lan. For a moment, the voice reminded her of someone else and her chest ached horribly. But when the young man entered her gaze, she softened again. The pain miraculously disappeared.
“You’re back.”
“I am!” Liang Jun grinned as he set down the lunch. He patted it proudly. “And I made my shijie make us lunch.”
“Is that something to be proud of?” Xiu Lan raised a brow.
“Isn’t it?” Liang Jun puffed out his cheeks. “I’ll have you know, my shijie is the best cook in this sect, but it’s rare that she makes food. Everyone’s saying that she won’t even cook for her future spouse!”
Xiu Lan smiled, obviously thinking it was an over exaggeration.
“I’m being serious,” Liang Jun said, sighing in the face of Xiu Lan’s disbelief. He opened each lid and brought out each dish. Once he put the lunch box aside, he happily brought out a pair of chopsticks and handed it to Xiu Lan. “Have a taste.”
Xiu Lan did as she was told without hesitation. The moment she bit down on the lotus root, her eyes widened. She couldn’t help but take a few more bites. Her chopsticks traveled to other dishes, her cheeks beginning to bulge.
It had been a long time since she had tasted home-cooked meals. Back when Rong Meihua was still around, Li Ran would cook for them every week or so. His dishes were better, but Wen Yi’s cooking was a whole new flavor.
Liang Jun grinned as he watched Xiu Lan eat. “Slow down. No one’s going to steal it from you.”
At this reminder, Xiu Lan felt a bit embarrassed. She forced herself to chew more before swallowing. She glanced at Liang Jun. “You aren’t going to eat?”
Liang Jun’s eyes widened. “Eat! I’ll eat.”
Before coming here, Ren Yizhou had reminded Liang Jun to keep an appropriate distance. Although Xiu Lan trusted him the most, he shouldn’t move to fast so as not to scare her. Being able to eat from the same dishes as her was something Liang Jun hadn’t even thought about.
As they ate, Liang Jun told Xiu Lan of the mission he had just come back from. Because Screeching Sparrow Sect was a bit shorthanded right now, Liang Jun had to depart from the sect for a few days to take care of a few cases. Luckily, Tian Xiewen had given Liang Jun all the easy ones so that he could return faster.
As Xiu Lan listened to Liang Jun, she felt a bit of envy. She had tried grabbing her sword just yesterday, but it fell from her hands and startled the maid that was attending her. She could barely hold chopsticks for too long without her hand shaking, much less wield a weapon. As for the bow and arrow…Xiu Lan didn’t even want to think about it.
Liang Jun’s voice petered off when he saw Xiu Lan’s distraught expression. He clenched his chopsticks. Anger and something akin to pain mixed in his chest. He hated seeing Xiu Lan look like this.
Once lunch was finished, Liang Jun stayed and talked to Xiu Lan about mundane things until dusk. During this time, there weren’t any disciples who passed through.
Xiu Lan frowned slightly. This lake wasn’t exactly at the center of the sect, but in order to travel to certain places, people would inevitably pass by. For there to not be anyone was odd. As Liang Jun spoke, Xiu Lan began looking around curiously until she saw the figure of a person walking by.
She was about to let out a sigh of relief until she realized the person was truly approaching them, not just passing through. Her palms began to sweat.
Liang Jun looked at her curiously before turning to the direction she was looking at. His eyes widened when he recognized the figure walking towards them. He was just about to call out when the person across from him shot up and sprinted towards the approaching man.
Wu Lingtian’s reactions were fast. He quickly caught Xiu Lan in his arms, his posture bending only slightly to cushion her impact. Before he could ask what was wrong, he could already hear the sniffling from the girl in his embrace. The girl who had always been so arrogant was clinging to him with trembling shoulders.
Wu Lingtian’s gaze darkened. He embraced her and gently stroked the back of her head. “It’s okay. Lan’er, you’re okay.”
Xiu Lan sobbed harder than she had when her limbs had been broken or when she had been tormented those few weeks. Her broken fingers clung to the back of Wu Lingtian’s robes as she wept.
“Shi—Shishu,” Xiu Lan hiccupped as she pressed herself against Wu Lingtian. “H-he—”
“Don’t rush,” Wu Lingtian whispered. “Speak slowly.”
Xiu Lan took in a few shuddering breaths before she tried again. “H-he’s not my shizun.”
Wu Lingtian’s eyes widened.
“He wouldn’t do this to me,” Xiu Lan sobbed. “You know this too, Wu-shishu! That person isn’t Li Ran!”
Wu Lingtian closed his eyes tightly. He was afraid of hurting Xiu Lan and could only restrain the pressure of his grip. The only resolve surrounding his shattered memories finally dissolved. The pieces seemed to overflow haphazardly onto the floor. Each piece was more disjointed from the next and nothing made sense anymore.
The warmth he remembered was so real, Wu Lingtian couldn’t deny it. But so was the vicious torment.
As he listened to Xiu Lan cry, Wu Lingtian finally admitted it.
“You’re right, Lan’er. That person isn’t your shizun,” Wu Lingtian said softly. “He isn’t. Your shizun would never hurt you.”
Hearing this confirmation was like a switch. Xiu Lan felt a sudden fatigue wash over her. Her knees gaze out and she slumped forward, fainting in Wu Lingtian’s embrace.
“Xiu La—”
Wu Lingtian hoisted Xiu Lan up. He glanced at Liang Jun. “Thank you.”
“I…I haven’t done…” Liang Jun glanced at Wu Lingtian and looked worriedly at Xiu Lan.
“She fainted from fatigue,” Wu Lingtian said. “She’ll be fine in a little while.”
“A-Alright.”
“…We’ll see you at dinner,” Wu Lingtian said.
Liang Jun nodded dumbly again. He watched Wu Lingtian take Xiu Lan away and lowered his gaze.
In the end, he couldn’t do anything for her.
Aww that poor kid! I was hoping Wu Lingtian would get back soon. I don’t think anyone else could really comfort her right now. But it’s terrifying to think Wu Lingtian’s lost time and memories might be similar to whatever happened to Li Ran. I can’t imagine him causing so much hurt.
good theories nice theories– thanks for reading 😀
Fan Yi was being a tsundere!?!? i shouldve known orz
also i like Wu Lingtian’s thoughts on the riddle, though it does sound like at the end here (AAAAAAAAAAAAAA) he got his memories back ٩( ᐛ )و which means explanation soon, i feel.
ALSO LIANG JUN BABEY, YOU HAVE ALREADY DONE SO MUCH FOR XIU LAN!! it’s just childhood shishu hit different for emotional support ya know? i’m sure you two will be supporting each other in your own way soon enough. headpats for Liang Jun- and everybody tbh