He said coldly, “If I wish to kill, why would I need the Immortal Gate Token’s permission?”
Shi Qing could no longer remember exactly how it had ended; too much time had passed. In short, Gu Yan had shown no trace of demonic energy, and Xie Ciyou had released the Immortal Gate Token. However, the encounter had left both Shi Qing and Xie Ciyou looking grim. Shi Qing only remembered scooping up Gu Yan and walking away without a single backward glance.
Since that incident, it seemed every subsequent meeting with Xie Ciyou had ended unpleasantly, often bordering on open hostility. He felt Xie Ciyou had become cold, ruthless, and aggressive, increasingly resembling the emotionless, desireless Immortal Master described in the original book. Meanwhile, Shi Qing, swept along by the plot, could only dutifully play his role: the cold-hearted Immortal Master who reserved one face for Gu Yan and another for the rest of the world.
Outside the gauze curtains, the door opened. A gust of wind swirled remnant snow into the room, bringing a wave of chill. A pair of white boots stepped inside, and the door closed immediately behind them, shutting out the storm. The sitting silhouette on the bed was visible through the light curtains, yet Xie Ciyou acted as if he saw nothing, walking straight to the desk to sit down.
Shi Qing sat frozen on the bed. Pretending to be unconscious now was neither timely nor practical. But leaving the safety of the curtains to face Xie Ciyou was equally terrifying. In the midst of the stalemate, Xie Ciyou’s airy voice drifted through the gauze and into Shi Qing’s ears. “Now that you are awake, come here.”
Shi Qing took a deep breath, composed his emotions, and slowly parted the curtains to step out. He walked to the front of Xie Ciyou’s desk, standing obediently at a cautious distance while stealing a glance at him.
Xie Ciyou sat cross-legged behind the desk, the hem of his soft white robes spreading across the prayer mat. His left hand rested on the desk while his right flipped through the pages of an open book. Judging by the remaining thickness, he was nearly finished. His porcelain-white, slender fingers nipped at the edges of the pages.
With his head slightly bowed in concentration, Xie Ciyou’s sword-like brows stretched toward his temples. Long, crow-feather lashes cast a shadow over his eyes, hiding their coldness. It made his exquisite face look less sharp and indifferent, adding a touch of softness and focus.
Shi Qing dazed for a moment. Xie Ciyou did not speak, and silence filled the room. After a few seconds, Shi Qing snapped back to reality and spoke tentatively. “Xie, Immortal Master, thank you for saving me.” Shi Qing nearly bit his tongue on the title.
The hand flipping the pages paused, but Xie Ciyou did not look up.
Shi Qing continued. “The incident happened suddenly. Now that it is over, as a disciple of the Qingyun Sect, I should return to my sect to report.”
“I have already had Xia Chan inform the Qingyun Sect.” Xie Ciyou’s gaze remained fixed on the book, his fingers tracing a page. “More importantly, do you have nothing else to confess?”
Shi Qing’s heart tightened. Here it came.
Xie Ciyou had seen him absorb demonic energy with his own eyes; he was bound to be interrogated. The fact that Xie Ciyou was being this civil was already unexpectedly gentle. If Shi Qing did not take this chance to come clean and earn his trust, his end would likely be miserable.
Shi Qing asked, “Does the Immortal Master refer to the events within the illusion?”
Hearing this, Xie Ciyou closed the book on the desk. He looked up, his freezing gaze landing squarely on Shi Qing.
Shi Qing explained, “I was simply worried about Brother Xia and wanted to check on him. I did not expect to become dizzy the moment I entered. It felt as though demonic energy was forcing its way into my body, and then I fainted from the pain. You must have been there at the time. As for my body, I truly do not know why it happened.”
Xie Ciyou remained silent, his icy eyes fixed unblinkingly on him. After a moment, he said coldly, “Continue.”
Shi Qing felt flustered under that stare. Since he truly was not lying this time, he said flatly, “Everything I said regarding the demonic energy is the truth. I ask the Immortal Master to investigate clearly.”
Xie Ciyou let go of the book and leaned his elbow on the desk, resting his chin on the back of his hand. His wide sleeves slid down, pooling softly on the desk to reveal his wrist guards. Clad in his meticulous attire, Xie Ciyou’s face was like frost. He said, “Aside from the demonic energy, are you certain you are hiding nothing else?”
What else could Xie Ciyou be so concerned about? Shi Qing’s mind raced. He looked puzzled. “What does the Immortal Master mean?”
A trace of a smile touched Xie Ciyou’s lips, though it did not reach his eyes. “Tell me about that array you used at the end of the ambush in the forest outside the Qingyun Sect.” His tone was so gentle it sounded as if he were merely offering a helpful reminder.
Shi Qing froze. In a flash of insight, several lingering questions were suddenly answered.
It was Xie Ciyou who had obsessively questioned his identity at the Qingyun Hall. It was Xia Chan who appeared at the end of the forest ambush. And it was Xia Chan who was supposed to be in the well-illusion but was nowhere to be found.
When he first entered the illusion, he had been incapacitated too quickly to observe his surroundings. He had assumed Xia Chan had used some method to call Xie Ciyou, or that Xie Ciyou was powerful enough to enter from elsewhere.
Now, the worst possibility was clear: Xia Chan was Xie Ciyou.
That meant Xie Ciyou had been hiding nearby during the forest ambush, watching his every move. He had even noticed the imitated Demon-Suppressing Array. Shi Qing had always had a photographic memory, especially regarding the great array that had caused his death and required his soul to mend. If he had not been pushed to a dead end that day, he would never have attempted to use it.
Shi Qing’s hands curled at his sides. Perhaps due to the tension, he felt a faint heat rising in his body.
But how could Xie Ciyou recognize the Demon-Suppressing Array? When he had sacrificed himself, he had entered the demonic realm alone. Xie Ciyou should never have seen it.
Was Xie Ciyou bluffing?
“That was,” Shi Qing gambled on a desperate lie, gritting his teeth, “a dream.”
With a cold snort, Xie Ciyou questioned him rapidly. “At the Qingyun Hall, you said the one who appeared in your dream was the divine sense left in the forbidden grounds by Immortal Master Shuangyu?”
“Yes.”
“Then tell me: how could a divine sense left in the forbidden grounds before his death know what the Demon-Suppressing Array, the very thing that killed him, looked like?”
Shi Qing felt his heart skip a beat. Only one thought remained: I’m dead. He actually knows!
“It seems you are unwilling to tell the truth.”
Xie Ciyou sat tall on the couch, a murderous chill radiating from him. He suddenly raised his hand, and a faint glow appeared in his palm. Shi Qing’s pupils shrank; he was summoning the Immortal Gate Token.
Shi Qing gripped the hem of his clothes, his knuckles turning white from the force. He could no longer tell if the moisture dripping from his brow was cold sweat or a result of the abnormal heat burning inside him.
The Immortal Gate Token did not appear in Xie Ciyou’s hand. Instead, the heat inside Shi Qing became unbearable. It rose higher and higher, flowing through his spiritual veins as if someone were pouring boiling water into his body. He couldn’t help but scowl in pain.
Xie Ciyou watched every subtle change on Shi Qing’s face.
Shi Qing’s consciousness blurred. The floor beneath him began to sway. In the corner of his eye, the hem of Xie Ciyou’s robe suddenly appeared. His wrist was seized, and Xie Ciyou’s voice came from above. “Follow me.”
Shi Qing’s vision blurred again. When it cleared, he was in the Sword Pavilion. Xie Ciyou was dragging him through layers of gauze curtains toward the upper levels. He knew what lay behind those curtains. Was Xie Ciyou giving up on the Token and planning to let the Compass sentence him directly?
Shi Qing struggled with all his might, but he could not break free from Xie Ciyou’s grip. He was practically dragged, stumbling up the steps to the curtains.
The closer they got to the curtains, the hotter Shi Qing’s body became. He felt as if he were being seared in a hot pan. He bit his lip and kept his head low, pulling back on Xie Ciyou’s hand and silently refusing to take another step.
If his name appeared on the Compass, his life or death lay behind those layers of gauze.
Shi Qing endured the physical agony, but sweat poured off him. His body felt as if it were stuffed with red-hot coal. He spoke with great difficulty, his voice weak and pitiful. “Don’t.”
Xie Ciyou stopped. He looked down at him. “The Divination South-Pointing Compass is inside.”
This is a threat!
He had only just begun to enjoy his new life. He knew his body was acting strangely; if the Heavenly Dao was truly blind and put his name on the execution list, Xie Ciyou would undoubtedly kill him without hesitation.
Shi Qing’s head was buzzing. Burned by the heat, he was weak and disoriented. Xie Ciyou finally stopped the stalemate, pinned both of Shi Qing’s hands, and pulled him through the curtains. Shi Qing’s weak struggle was like an ant trying to shake a tree. Gasping for air, he was thrown by Xie Ciyou onto the soft couch beside the Compass.
Seeing Xie Ciyou raise his hand to cast a spell, Shi Qing made a desperate attempt to bolt for the exit. Xie Ciyou was faster, raising his hand to form a seal: a Soul-Binding Array!
Shi Qing fell back onto the couch. He glared at Xie Ciyou, his eyes blazing with fury. However, on his pale, weak face, that fire held no intimidation; he looked like a cornered rabbit, unable to bite and only able to stare with reddened eyes.
Worse still, he could not break Xie Ciyou’s Soul-Binding Array.
The Compass activated. Shi Qing could hear nothing but the thumping of his own heart and a piercing ring in his ears. Ignoring the discomfort, he cried out in panic, “Xie Ciyou! You cannot kill me! The Immortal Gate Token did not judge me as demonic! You have no right to kill me!”
Xie Ciyou snapped his head around, his eyes filled with an ultimate coldness. “Kill you?”
A chill wind blew through the open hall doors, rippling through the layers of gauze and lifting the corners of Xie Ciyou’s snow-white robes. In the fluttering fabric, he looked like a specter made of frost. He said coldly, “If I wish to kill, why would I need the Immortal Gate Token’s permission?”
Shi Qing’s body was burning, but his heart went completely cold. He gasped for air, his previous outburst having exhausted his strength. Now, he curled into a ball on the couch, his half-closed eyelashes trembling uncontrollably.
Xie Ciyou raised a hand. The hall doors shut with a loud bang, making the doorframes vibrate. He rapidly surged his spiritual power. The Compass began to emit a soft golden light, which rose into the air and drifted toward Shi Qing, surrounding him.
Shi Qing was drenched in sweat, looking as if he had been soaked in water. As the golden threads from the Compass touched him, the agonizing heat within his body slowly dissipated. His curled body gradually lost its tension. Shi Qing felt like a fish being tossed back into the water.
He did not know how much time passed, but eventually, the discomfort vanished completely. The Soul-Binding Array loosened, and his entire body relaxed. With half-closed eyes, Shi Qing looked on in a daze. From his perspective, he could only see the sharp edge of the Compass and a corner of Xie Ciyou’s white robe.
Didn’t Xie Ciyou want to kill him?
Shi Qing remained lying on his side. As the heat faded, his sweat-soaked clothes felt sticky against his skin. The perennial chill of Aowu Pavilion began to seep in, and he couldn’t help but shiver.
In the corner of his eye, Xie Ciyou seemed to make a movement. Shi Qing suddenly felt a wave of warmth pass over him, and his damp clothes dried instantly.
After this physical and mental ordeal, Shi Qing was plunged into deep exhaustion. His voice was hoarse and weak. “What did you do?”
There was a long silence.
“The Immortal Gate Token is inside your body. The Compass can alleviate your body’s rejection of it.” The voice remained devoid of emotion.
A memory flashed through Shi Qing’s mind and the power that had shared the burden of the demonic energy before he fainted in the illusion. So that was the Immortal Gate Token. Xie Ciyou had actually planted Aowu Pavilion’s divine artifact inside him.
The heat from before was caused by the rejection of the Token, and Xie Ciyou hadn’t brought him here to execute him, but to help him stabilize.
Once he realized this, Shi Qing became even more confused. He wanted to get up and ask the owner of that white robe why.
But he had no strength left. His heavy eyelids slowly closed, and his consciousness sank back into darkness.