After the disciples of the Fuajian Sect followed the guiding disciple and left Shiyun Pavilion, Shen Zhuoqing turned his gaze toward Liu Ziyi.
Liu Ziyi was currently surrounded by a crowd of junior brothers, who all seemed frightened by his pale complexion and were asking whether he should go take a look at the herb garden.
However, Liu Ziyi shook his head, keeping his gaze locked firmly onto Shen Zhuoqing.
“It is merely a bit of weakness from overdrawing my spiritual energy. You all need not worry about me.”
With that said, Shen Zhuoqing finally stepped forward, unceremoniously grabbing Liu Ziyi’s wrist. In front of everyone, he checked Liu Ziyi’s meridians and spiritual aura before declaring:
“Indeed, there is no major issue.”
Wait, as the surrounding disciples calmed down and the initial wave of lingering fear subsided, Shen Zhuoqing spoke:
“Shiyun Pavilion will be temporarily closed for a day, and you may all disperse, junior brothers. Any disciples who have yet to reach the Inedia stage, please report to the main sect hall at the hour of You today, where the Fuajian Sect will prepare clean spiritual food for your meals.”
Shen Zhuoqing wrapped up the matter very swiftly, and the surrounding disciples stopped crowding together. Guided by their respective senior brothers, they left Shiyun Pavilion in twos and threes.
Shen Zhuoqing also took Liu Ziyi with him, turning away to slip into the back entrance of Shiyun Pavilion. A restriction had been set here, making it impossible for anyone below the Nascent Soul stage to pry into it.
As soon as they left the crowded area, Liu Ziyi asked him:
“Senior Brother, why did you kill that Gu insect?”
If that Gu insect had been left behind, perhaps the Master or the elders would have been able to recognize what it was.
“You didn’t even let us see its full appearance before you crushed it to smithereens, Senior Brother.”
“Why?”
Shen Zhuoqing did not answer immediately.
He pressed his lips together and looked toward Liu Ziyi, the worry in his eyes seeming to stem from a fear that Liu Ziyi would become overly agitated and further injure his already weak body.
“Gu insects must be eliminated; leaving them behind is far too dangerous.”
Shen Zhuoqing was not making excuses; Luozhou genuinely rarely suffered from Gu infestations, and there were very few people capable of dealing with such evil and toxic items.
Yet, seeing that Shen Zhuoqing was merely stating facts, Liu Ziyi felt a stifled ball of frustration build up in his chest.
He was finding it increasingly difficult to understand Shen Zhuoqing’s actions. He had practically laid his suspicions right out in front of the two of them, yet Shen Zhuoqing remained entirely tight-lipped.
Was he acting without reason, completely uninhibited?
Or did he not dare to admit it?
“You were the one who proposed going to Shiyun Pavilion, you were the one who stopped me from eating that dish with the Gu insect, and you were the one who destroyed the Gu insect that should have been kept to trace the clues.”
“Are you truly not planning to explain anything at all?”
However, after Liu Ziyi asked, he only saw Shen Zhuoqing lower his gaze:
“I have already stated the reason. There is no further explanation.”
With that, Shen Zhuoqing stepped forward and gently grasped his hand, as if reminding him not to clench his fist too tightly, lest the warm jade stone grind against his wound and tear it open once again.
Yet this action only added fuel to the fire in Liu Ziyi’s heart. The moment Shen Zhuoqing touched him, Liu Ziyi yanked his hand away and fiercely shoved the piece of jade back into Shen Zhuoqing’s hand.
“I don’t need you to mind my business!”
This was not the first time Liu Ziyi had said such words to Shen Zhuoqing. In the past, when the discipline had been harsher, the two of them would frequently bicker back and forth.
In those days, whenever Liu Ziyi dared to throw such a little temper tantrum, Shen Zhuoqing would invariably bind him with the Body-Binding Spell and drag him before the Master, refusing to let it go without a punishment.
Yet the current Shen Zhuoqing merely endured in silence, tightening his grip around the piece of jade that still retained Liu Ziyi’s body heat. He was forced to speak up and address Liu Ziyi’s accusations:
“I never imagined that Gu insect would appear at a time like this. Moreover, Xiao-Liu must have forgotten that Senior Brother had merely invited you alone at the time.”
The rest of the people were all invited over by Liu Ziyi himself.
“You didn’t anticipate it?” Liu Ziyi refused to yield an inch. “Didn’t you even know what kind of poison I would contract?”
“If Xiao-Liu is referring to the disciples of the Vibrating Blade Sect being infected by Gu, I did not foresee it. Failing to stop them before setting out was merely following Xiao-Liu’s wishes.”
Shen Zhuoqing said.
He simply wanted to spend a little more time with Liu Ziyi and hadn’t expected the Gu insect to appear so early. Everything had come even faster than in his previous life, as if things had gone haywire right from the start.
Liu Ziyi listened to his reply while staring intently at his expression, refusing to miss a single ripple in his eyes. To his disappointment, he still could not find any trace of falsehood.
“What about the Gu insect then? You knew what kind of Gu it was, which is why you killed it without hesitation, didn’t you?” Liu Ziyi asked.
“Yes.”
Shen Zhuoqing answered, but offered nothing further.
Liu Ziyi felt that talking to him was truly exhausting.
Yet, having at least ascertained that Shen Zhuoqing had not intentionally put the disciples of the Vibrating Blade Sect in danger while withholding assistance, he ceased his futile questioning and instead withdrew his accusations, raising his eyes to look at Shen Zhuoqing once again.
This Senior Brother of his, with whom he had spent over eight years yet remained distant.
Shen Zhuoqing’s cold face was often accompanied by a tolerant and amiable smile; outwardly gentle, he was actually strict to the point of harshness. His appearance hadn’t changed a bit, and right now at the assembly he appeared completely at ease, showing not a single flaw in front of Master.
Only when treating him and Qin Xiaoyi did he seem bizarre and unfamiliar.
He was starting to lose track of what Shen Zhuoqing was actually trying to do.
The trust originally built upon the foundation of their senior-junior brotherhood had gradually developed cracks amidst these successive incidents.
It wasn’t that Liu Ziyi was unfeeling, but the rift created by those three years had long since overwritten the warmth he had once felt from Shen Zhuoqing, naturally preventing any trust or reliance from taking root.
“I know you won’t tell me what that is, but I hope that in the subsequent investigation, Senior Brother will speak honestly for the sake of the Vibrating Blade Sect and our Fuajian Sect’s reputation.”
“After all, you are still that Senior Brother who upholds the righteous path, are you not?”
“If it is something I can do, naturally Xiao-Liu need not worry.”
Those faint words carved yet another slash into the cracks of trust between the two of them. Liu Ziyi did not continue speaking with Shen Zhuoqing, instead lifting his foot and preparing to break through the barrier and leave.
Leaving a few disciples to guide the way to the herb garden, he still couldn’t quite put his mind at ease.
However, Shen Zhuoqing reacted much faster this time, stepping forward to catch his wrist as if wanting to explain further.
Yet Liu Ziyi could no longer be bothered to keep listening. What use was there in listening any further?
The current Shen Zhuoqing was nothing like his Senior Brother; he hated the present Shen Zhuoqing!
Every time he opened his mouth it was nonsense, and every sentence was filled with secrets and apologies. If not for remembering that Shen Zhuoqing was his senior brother, he would have long since grabbed the other’s collar and demanded to know what kind of trouble he had gotten into back in Lingzhou!
Shen Zhuoqing’s hand was shaken off by Liu Ziyi, and he heard his junior brother state with a hint of annoyance: “We have nothing to talk about right now.”
Shen Zhuoqing’s fingertips twitched. Frowning his brows, he felt a sharp, agonizing pain pierce through his heart; that inner demon had been lingering within him for far too long, waiting precisely for the moment his emotions fluctuated.
He braced his body against the wall as the inner demon’s turbulence sapped his strength, and he began to feel the bone-chilling cold of Tianshuang Cliff once more.
Even though he had understood ever since the moment he agreed to the reincarnation that misunderstandings and strife were inevitable, in order to prevent the purgatory from his dreams from recurring, he would once again be disliked by Liu Ziyi and misunderstood by everyone.
Yet when faced with Liu Ziyi’s aversion, his inner demon would still spin out of control.
By the time Liu Ziyi rushed back to Shiyun Pavilion, where few people remained, he found only a few remaining disciples of the Vibrating Blade Sect.
They told Liu Ziyi: “Senior Brother Chou asked us to pass along a message to Senior Liu. Thanks to Senior Liu’s intervention this time, but because it injured our sect’s disciples, this matter will still be truthfully reported to the elders.”
This was well within expectations, so Liu Ziyi nodded: “That is how it should be. Today happens to coincide with the martial tournament, so I must beg you all not to discuss this matter everywhere. Our Fuajian Sect will certainly investigate this accident thoroughly to provide the Vibrating Blade Sect with an account.”
Seeing him take this attitude, the disciples of the Vibrating Blade Sect dropped the subject of the Gu insect. Judging by their increasingly eccentric expressions, however, lingering suspicions undoubtedly remained in their hearts.
The surrounding disciples of the Fuajian Sect echoed Liu Ziyi’s words as well. Seeing that Liu Ziyi’s complexion was even worse than before, they couldn’t help asking about Shen Zhuoqing’s whereabouts.
“Senior Brother Liu’s injuries have not fully healed, and he is likely just holding on by sheer force of will right now. Where is the Senior Brother? Wasn’t the Senior Brother supposed to escort Senior Brother Liu back?” Someone asked in a low voice.
Liu Ziyi shook his head and said nothing.
In a situation like this, he truly couldn’t come up with any words to defend Shen Zhuoqing. If someone questioned him later, he could just go explain it himself.
The others, unaware of the situation, stopped pressing further. Just as Liu Ziyi was preparing to follow the Vibrating Blade Sect disciples to check on Pu Yue’s condition, a disciple suddenly hurried over to report.
“Senior Brother Liu!”
“The Sect Master is summoning you and the Senior Brother back to Tianshuang Cliff, immediately!”
Liu Ziyi furrowed his brows and looked over, recognizing the disciple as one of the ones who routinely swept Tianshuang Cliff. He had arrived in such a rush that the sword intent of his sword flight hadn’t even dissipated yet.
Rushing into Shiyun Pavilion, the disciple continued directly: “The Senior Brother is already waiting outside, please have Senior Brother Liu and the Senior Brother return together on the sword!”
At the mention of Shen Zhuoqing, Liu Ziyi quickly figured out what was going on.
Shen Zhuoqing must have notified Master in advance. As the eldest disciple of the Fuajian Sect, he had a direct line of communication with the Sect Master, yet Shen Qing’s very first reaction after such an incident occurred was to summon them both back to Tianshuang Cliff?
“Does the Sect Master know about what happened here?” Liu Ziyi frowned and asked.
“The Sect Master said the investigation of Shiyun Pavilion will be handled by Elder Fu, and the injured disciples have already been sent to Youning Valley. He only instructed me to make sure both Senior Brothers return to the cliff together.”
Chou Zaiqi and the others had led Pu Yue to the herb garden, which happened to be located within the Youning Peak territory overseen by Fuai Ye. With him taking charge, there shouldn’t be much cause for worry.
With no other choice, unsure whether Master had discovered any clues, Liu Ziyi nodded to the messenger disciple: “I understand.”
Following that, the messenger disciple turned to inform the remaining cultivators in the room of Sect Master Shen Qing’s words.
The general gist was similar to what had been stated earlier: urging everyone to remain calm, noting that the Fuajian Sect would deploy personnel to investigate during the martial tournament, and advising everyone to pay attention to their personal safety while reporting any clues directly to the Fuajian Sect.
Without lingering further, Liu Ziyi turned and walked outside.
This time, he didn’t even want to spare Shen Zhuoqing a single glance, silently lowering his gaze as he walked forward through the snow.
His spiritual energy was insufficient right now, so he had no choice but to let Shen Zhuoqing give him a ride up.
Walking the whole way would probably be too much for him to endure against the cold.
Just leaving Shiyun Pavilion was enough for him to feel wave after wave of freezing chill traveling from the exposed skin at the back of his neck, where his high ponytail was tied, down to his entire body. No wonder those young disciples of the Vibrating Blade Sect couldn’t take it; surviving on Tianshuang Cliff without frost-resistant incantations was truly difficult.
Even though he was still feuding with Shen Zhuoqing, the latter acted as though nothing had happened, raising his hand to cast a warming incantation upon him, simply using spiritual energy to envelop him and shield him from the biting frost and snow.
The sudden warmth wrapping around him caused a brief flicker of hesitation in Liu Ziyi’s gaze, yet he stubbornly kept his head down, speaking in a stiff, rigid tone:
“Let’s hurry, Master must be waiting anxiously.”
“Alright.”
At Shen Zhuoqing’s acknowledgment, Liu Ziyi stepped onto the summoned Yinshue sword, taking his place near the tail end of the blade.
The Yinshue sword was somewhat shorter than his own Xiliu sword, but its advantage lay in its standard shape and slightly wider body, allowing him to stand upon it without needing to hold onto Shen Zhuoqing ahead of him for support.
Standing on Shen Zhuoqing’s sword last time was already who-knows-how-many years ago; back then, he only reached up to his senior brother’s chest, and even traveling together required Shen Zhuoqing to shield him in front with one hand to ensure his safety.
Standing behind Shen Zhuoqing this time, he could actually see the road ahead clearly past his senior brother’s shoulder.
Right at that moment, Liu Ziyi caught a whiff of a familiar scent.
Residual demonic energy.