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Things have developed to this point, and it’s truly absurd.
The Dragon Demon was notoriously for toying with people’s hearts, so Qi Shu didn’t fully believe his words. Moreover, in the cave, under such life-threatening circumstances, it would have been a perfectly reasonable tactic for the enemy to lie to disturb his mind and use the opportunity to escape…
If only his Shizun hadn’t fled due to a guilty conscience.
What difference was there between that attitude and an admission?
Qi Shu was helpless.
From the Dragon Demon’s words and Shizun’s attitude, what happened that night was certainly between him and Shizun. But what exactly occurred that made Shizun even go so far as to seal his memories and drive him down the mountain the very next day?
It couldn’t be that he, under the influence of alcohol, had…
Qi Shu glanced at Shizun walking ahead, whose figure was almost out of sight. He was so frightened by his own guess that his legs went weak, nearly tripping over a loose stone by the roadside.
“Be careful!” Lu Chengyuan quickly steadied him, “How can you trip on flat ground? Are you injured?”
“No…” Qi Shu shook off his hand. “Mind your own business.”
Most of the women who were still alive had been kidnapped recently and hadn’t had their essence drained. Gu Hanjiang had given them a simple treatment, and although they were frightened, they were not seriously hurt and could support each other down the mountain. As for those who had already died, after Lu Chengyuan helped to collect their bodies, he cast a spell to make them float and follow behind.
“I’m just worried about you…” Lu Chengyuan mumbled, then went back to help support the women.
Qi Shu thought for a moment, then turned his head. “Hey, I have a question.”
Lu Chengyuan didn’t really want to respond. “Speak.”
Qi Shu looked ahead, saw that Shizun had already walked far away, and then lowered his voice to ask, “After I left the mountain that year, did Shizun ever come out of seclusion?”
“Of course not,” Lu Chengyuan said. “Don’t you know that the Heavenly Venerable Immortal was in seclusion for five years without coming out?”
“Then…” Qi Shu chose his words carefully, asking obliquely, “Did he have any physical discomfort? Did he ever ask the sect leader or medical immortals to visit?”
Lu Chengyuan gave him an “are you sick?” look.
“The Heavenly Venerable Immortal has long transcended his mortal body. Even if he occasionally had physical discomfort, he could treat it himself. Besides, how could seclusion cause any serious injury that would require a medical immortal?” Lu Chengyuan said, “Did that demon say something to you? I’ve heard that this demon is best at confusing people’s hearts. Don’t believe anything it says.”
“No, just mind your own business.”
He didn’t want to say more to Lu Chengyuan and left him behind shortly after.
***
After all the trouble at Misty Shadow Mountain, it was almost dawn by the time they reached the foot of the mountain.
As soon as the group appeared at the end of the mountain path, a group of government officials surrounded them.
Lu Chengyuan had contacted the government officials before setting out, but due to the complex situation on Misty Shadow Mountain, the officials sent by the prefect only waited in the town and did not enter the mountain.
Lu Chengyuan was responsible for informing the officials about the cause and effect of the incident. Qi Shu listened absentmindedly, his peripheral vision couldn’t help but glance several times at Gu Hanjiang standing nearby.
He was really curious about what happened that night, but all the way down the mountain, he hadn’t even touched a piece of his Shizun’s robe. Now that he was finally close, there were a bunch of people in the way.
He couldn’t even ask if he wanted to.
He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice what everyone was saying until Lu Chengyuan poked him. “It’s time to go, what are you daydreaming about?”
Qi Shu suddenly came back to his senses. “Go? Where?”
“To Lingyang City.” Lu Chengyuan looked him up and down. “You haven’t been affected by some evil spell from that demon, have you? Why have you been so absent-minded all morning?”
“What nonsense are you talking about, that beast is dead, even if there were any evil spells, they should have worn off by now.”
“I suppose so.” Lu Chengyuan nodded, half-believing. “Let’s go, the prefect has invited us to Lingyang City for a gathering, saying he wants to reward us.”
“This…” Qi Shu frowned and scanned the surroundings, feeling that everyone present was extremely annoying, and felt a bit reluctant. “Our descent from the mountain to eliminate demons is our duty, there’s no need for rewards… right, Shizun?”
Qi Shu now just wanted to drive away all these annoying people and find an opportunity to be alone with his Shizun to have a good talk.
His Shizun didn’t like crowds, especially didn’t want to deal with these government officials, he definitely wouldn’t agree—
“The prefect is just being kind,” Gu Hanjiang said softly.
This meant he was going to go.
The officials naturally knew the status of the Heavenly Venerable Immortal. Hearing the Immortal Venerable speak, they immediately followed suit, enthusiastically inviting them to board the carriage.
And Gu Hanjiang didn’t refuse, walking up without a second thought.
Qi Shu: “…”
He’s deliberately avoiding me, right?
It takes over an hour to travel from the town to the city. The carriage sent by the prefect was luxurious and comfortable. The three of them sat in the carriage for most of the journey without saying a word.
Lu Chengyuan looked at the Heavenly Venerable Immortal opposite him, then at Qi Shu beside him, feeling unbearably stifled, he transmitted a message to Qi Shu using his divine sense. “Say something, I’m begging you.”
Qi Shu had one hand propped on the window, looking out at the layers of mountains, not turning his head. “What is it?”
“Don’t you feel suffocated?” Lu Chengyuan’s face didn’t show it, but his tone in the transmitted message was very distressed. “Is this how you usually interact with the Heavenly Venerable Immortal?”
Qi Shu secretly glanced at his Shizun with his peripheral vision.
The Heavenly Venerable Immortal sat upright in the carriage, eyes closed in meditation since boarding, looking unapproachable.
Usually, Qi Shu would probably have picked a topic to pester his Shizun.
But today…
He really didn’t know what to say to Shizun.
If he really did something outrageous that day, he didn’t know how to face Shizun in the future.
Qi Shu looked out the window again and let out a long sigh.
It’s so difficult.
Pursuing someone is so difficult.
Are those folk stories all fake?
Lu Chengyuan didn’t know what Qi Shu was worrying about and continued to chatter. “What are you sighing about? Can’t you say something to me? We haven’t seen each other for years, how did you also become such a clam?”
“…”
Qi Shu turned his head and silently looked at him.
Lu Chengyuan: “Wh-what?”
Qi Shu said calmly, “With Shizun’s cultivation, he can hear our divine sense transmission. You’re too noisy, shut up.”
Lu Chengyuan: “……”
****
The group finally arrived in Lingyang City before noon.
The prefect had obviously spread the news of Qi Shu and his group’s successful elimination of the demon in advance. When the carriage entered the city, they were welcomed by citizens lining the streets.
In front of the government office, more than a hundred people had already gathered.
The prefect personally came out to welcome them, and then cheerfully said a few formal words to the onlooking citizens, mostly praising the Kunlun Sword Sect disciples for their merit in eliminating demons, and boasting about the government’s decisive actions, which successfully rescued the people.
These words made the citizens cheer and their blood boil with excitement.
Amidst the excitement, no one noticed several officials carrying bodies covered with white cloth entering through the side door of the government office.
Qi Shu noticed and quietly followed.
As soon as he stepped inside, he heard some muffled sobbing.
In the courtyard, more than a dozen bodies covered with white cloth were laid out in a row. The rescued women were also here, embracing their parents, crying tears of joy. The rest of the families who hadn’t found their daughters supported each other, lifting the white cloth one by one to identify the bodies.
It was in stark contrast to the festive atmosphere outside.
Suddenly, a cry of shock came from the courtyard. A woman, overcome with grief, fainted on the spot.
Qi Shu quickly went forward.
He knelt on one knee, gathered a bit of spiritual energy, and transferred it into the woman’s back. A female corpse was lying right next to the woman. Qi Shu turned his head to glance at it but froze.
It happened to be the girl he had met in the forest that day.
A moment later, the woman let out a low moan and slowly regained consciousness.
“The person has passed away, please take care of yourself and try to accept it,” Qi Shu comforted her.
The woman was stunned for a moment before recognizing his attire. “Are you… are you the immortal invited by the prefect?”
Qi Shu responded softly: “I suppose so.”
Someone came over to help the woman up. She was much calmer than before. She wiped the tears from her face and bowed to Qi Shu. “Thank you, Immortal.”
“No need to thank me.” Qi Shu closed his eyes briefly. “I didn’t save your daughter, I’m sorry.”
The root cause of this turmoil was his failure to completely eliminate the demon back then, which gave the Dragon Demon an opportunity.
If he had been more careful at that time…
But the woman shook her head. “If it weren’t for the Immortal coming to rescue, who knows how many more lives would have been lost. Moreover, being able to bring this child’s body back, I am already grateful.”
The woman was only in her thirties, still looking quite young, with a scholarly air about her, speaking calmly and appropriately.
She should have been the one most heartbroken.
Qi Shu said in a low voice: “I met your daughter.”
The woman was stunned.
“The day before yesterday when I entered the mountain… I encountered her.” Qi Shu pondered for a moment, not mentioning that the girl’s body had been possessed by a demon. “But I arrived too late. She had already passed away, with only a wisp of consciousness remaining. She said she hoped I could bring her home.”
The woman burst into tears again.
She swayed, barely standing with support from the person holding her. She nodded, choking: “Good… she’s come home… I’ll take her home right away…”
The aftermath of these dozen or so women still needed to be taken care of. The crowd didn’t stay long, quickly collecting the bodies and leaving.
The prefect finally finished his long speech and dispersed the crowd gathered in front of the government office. He didn’t come personally, but sent officials several times to invite the immortals to the front hall for a chat. But Qi Shu didn’t respond, staying in the courtyard until the last family left.
The courtyard was empty of people. Qi Shu let out a soft sigh, turned around, and saw his Shizun standing under the corridor.
Who knows how long he had been standing there.
Qi Shu walked over, forcing a smile. “Why is Shizun here? This disciple was just helping the citizens of Lingyang City collect the bodies, which delayed me a bit. I’ll—”
“This matter is not your fault,” Gu Hanjiang interrupted him.
Qi Shu fell silent.
It was now dusk, the courtyard was quiet, and the setting sun cast a golden glow around the two of them.
Gu Hanjiang said, “Life and death are ordained by fate. You’ve practiced Taoism for many years, you shouldn’t let these things disturb your mind.”
Qi Shu still didn’t answer.
Of course, he understood this principle.
In these years of traveling down the mountain, he had encountered demon troubles many times, some of which resulted in casualties.
But only this time, it was something he could have prevented.
“A-Shu, you don’t need to take all the responsibility upon yourself.” Gu Hanjiang lowered his eyes to look at him. “Back then, the major sects expended who knows how much effort to kill that Dragon Demon, but only you succeeded. You think if you had been more careful, you could have avoided this disaster, but have you considered, if it happened again, could you really do it?”
Qi Shu was stunned.
If it happened again, could he completely kill the Dragon Demon at Hantan Cliff?
Qi Shu couldn’t be sure.
At that time, he had battled with the Dragon Demon for three days and three nights, and was at the end of his rope in terms of both physical strength and spiritual energy.
If they continued to fight, it was hard to say who would win or lose.
Not to mention that even now, he still didn’t know how that Dragon Demon had managed to slip away from under his sword.
“You can’t force things. Doing your best is enough. If you’re too obsessed, seeking but not obtaining, it’s easy to generate heart demons and lead to irreversible consequences,” Gu Hanjiang said softly. “A-Shu, this master doesn’t want to see you also…”
His words suddenly stopped.
Qi Shu asked in confusion, “What was Shizun saying?”
Gu Hanjiang shook his head. “Nothing.”
Usually, Qi Shu would probably be able to sense something from his hesitation, but right now his own heart was in chaos, and he couldn’t pay attention to these things.
Qi Shu said, “This disciple will keep Shizun’s words in mind.”
“Good that you understand.”
Gu Hanjiang stepped forward, took out the small fox jade pendant that Qi Shu had given him earlier from his bosom, and personally hung it on Qi Shu’s waist.
The two were suddenly very close.
Qi Shu looked up and saw his Shizun slightly lowering his head, those beautiful eyes downcast, full of gentleness and focus.
At this distance, he could even feel Shizun’s steady, cool breath.
Qi Shu’s heart stirred slightly. “Did Shizun come to comfort me because he was afraid I’d be upset?”
Gu Hanjiang’s movements paused.
Qi Shu: “You were clearly avoiding me this morning.”
Gu Hanjiang: “…”
“I wasn’t avoiding you.” Gu Hanjiang finished tying the jade pendant for him and straightened up, his tone sounding a bit stiff. “The prefect is still waiting in the front hall, it’s almost time for the meal, let’s go.”
He finished speaking and turned to leave, but was caught by the sleeve by Qi Shu.
“You weren’t avoiding me… but you did come specially to comfort me, right?” Qi Shu took another step diagonally forward. There was a window opening in the corridor behind Gu Hanjiang, and with this step, Qi Shu had almost left his Shizun no way to retreat. He held onto Gu Hanjiang’s sleeve, looking up at him. “Shizun avoided me all morning, how can you think to comfort me with just these two light words?”
This was practically unreasonable.
“I said I didn’t…” Gu Hanjiang turned his head, their gazes suddenly collided, and his words stopped.
Qi Shu gazed into those eyes, saying softly, “At least… you should give me a hug, right?”
********
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Reika’s Notes:
- This chapter is by PipGirlPixie.
- A hug? Oh, are things heating up?
- Sorry for the wait, but more chapters should be published soon.
- Please let me know if there are any errors. Thanks for reading!
Hug, hug! σ(≧ε≦ｏ)
Thank You for the new chapter (♡´艸`)
Thanks for reading!