Yu Zaixi knelt by the side of the bed for a long time, cursing under his breath while piously apologizing, though he had no idea if his words could reach Yuan Qi. If that kind of thing had truly happened, he would be failing Yuan Qi miserably.
But it had already happened. What was he thinking just now? Burning his soul? Forget it. It was better to just pack up and run.
Yu Zaixi had not brought much with him from the start. He checked his storage pouch to confirm the two bone whistles were still there, then shoved his clothes inside haphazardly, ready to flee. As he went to push the door open, he felt his right arm lacked any strength. He did not think much of it and switched to his left, which pushed the door with ease. Yet, it would not budge.
Jiang Yan had set up an array. He knew he was trying to run.
Yu Zaixi’s eyelid twitched. He let out a soft “ah,” his expression going blank. Does he still want me to take responsibility? Does Jiang Yan not feel disgusted? Why did he not just kill me on the spot? Oh, right, it is his junior brother’s body. Then why did the body not fight back?
Yu Zaixi’s thoughts spun in circles before he finally noticed his right arm again. Why was it suddenly so weak? He lifted it, flexed his fingers, and felt nothing. It felt as if it did not belong to him. What was going on? He rubbed his wrist, wondering if he had knelt for too long, though his legs should have been the ones aching. He probed his own meridians with his fingertips, but everything seemed fine. This arm had been the one Dalu grabbed in Luozhong, and it had lacked strength even then.
Yu Zaixi sighed. If he could not run, he would sleep. If he could not figure out what was wrong with his arm, he would just wait until it got worse before fixing it. That was his way. He never worried about minor illnesses; this body could not die, and if things got serious, it would start to self-heal. It probably had something to do with the talismans Yuan Qi had been forced to wear on his chest as a child; that curse had long since fused with his flesh and blood.
Yu Zaixi stripped off his outer robe and flopped onto the bed, but he had no intention of sleeping. Even if someone brought him the Princess and the Pea’s eight mattresses, he would not be able to rest. How many mattresses did that princess have anyway? It had been over two hundred years; he had forgotten. He tossed and turned, feeling like he wanted to die of frustration. Should he ask Jiang Yan tomorrow, or pretend he knew nothing? Asking was not in his character, but knowing was disgusting. He hated Jiang Yan most of all; he wanted no part of him.
Forget it, he decided. I will not ask. I must endure.
After tossing and turning all night, he was dragged back to Luozhong in the morning with dark circles under his eyes. Miao Pei had been looking for him; seeing him brought back by Jiang Yan, he let out a long sigh of relief, nearly bursting into tears. Yuan, Brother Yu, I thought you had abandoned us.
Yu Zaixi waved a hand impatiently. Can you get my name right just once? How many times do I have to remind you? Miao Pei nodded eagerly, promising to be careful in the future.
In the daylight, Luozhong felt even more desolate and bleak. There was no need to leave the residence; looking left and right, the houses outside the walls were all on the verge of collapse. Qin Nai and Xiao Ci had just finished breakfast. Yu Zaixi walked over and tapped Xiao Ci on the head. Is there any left? I am still hungry.
He was not actually hungry; he was just embarrassed. He was making trouble for himself. He kept his back to Jiang Yan, not wanting to see the expression on the man’s face. Xiao Ci pulled his hand away from Qin Nai’s, looking annoyed. You are late.
Yu Zaixi squatted down to look the boy in the eye, smiling helplessly. Since he did not know what to say, he looked up at Qin Nai.
Qin Nai glanced at Jiang Yan, then pivoted nimbly. There is nothing to do during the day; why do we not stroll around the city and find an empty house to teach Xiao Ci some simple arrays?
That works, Yu Zaixi agreed, silently giving Qin Nai a thumbs-up.
But the next second, Jiang Yan walked over and held out a hand toward Xiao Ci. The boy leaned in obediently. Immortal Venerable?
Jiang Yan’s tone was flat, making it impossible to tell if he was disrupting their plans. You are returning to the Tianji Pavilion. It is dangerous here. I will bring you out again in a few days.
Xiao Ci nodded, then turned to Qin Nai. Then I will go back to the Tianji Pavilion. He glanced at Yu Zaixi, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.
Yu Zaixi gave a bitter smile. It did not matter; he was not well-liked by children anyway. He was pushy and deserved it. Jiang Yan’s gaze swept down to the person who was sighing with his head bowed, and he activated an array. Xiao Ci could not return alone and needed someone to look after him, so it was Yu Zaixi who had to leave.
Yu Zaixi had been dragged into the array by Xiao Ci. When he emerged, he was completely bewildered, staring at the apricot tree in front of him. I just arrived, and you are dragging me back already?
Xiao Ci replied, The Immortal Venerable wants you back, so I pulled you back.
You really do whatever he says, Yu Zaixi muttered, folding his arms and taking a long, shaky breath. It was fine, really. This way, there was no more awkwardness. The only risk was missing out if they found something related to the bone whistle.
As Xiao Ci turned to walk toward his room, Yu Zaixi sent a telepathic message to Qin Nai, telling him to notify him immediately if anything happened, especially concerning the whistles. Once he finished, Xiao Ci suddenly turned back. You should get some rest.
Yu Zaixi was deeply touched, sighing with a smile. You actually have the heart to care about me.
Your wounds are healing quickly, but they still look severe. You should rest more, Xiao Ci said with a look of disdain before walking away.
My wounds? Yu Zaixi tilted his head in confusion. Xiao Ci was truly miraculous; what kind of connection did the boy have with him? And where were these wounds? He looked down at himself, noticing nothing, but he felt strangely happy. If he was injured, did that not mean the events of two nights ago were still open to interpretation? So, he had not slept with Jiang Yan. Instead, they had fought, he had proven weaker, gotten beaten up, and Jiang Yan had carried him back—then erased his memory out of fear of retaliation.
Yes! That makes perfect sense!
Whether it was true or not, he chose to believe it. Feeling lighthearted, Yu Zaixi laughed stupidly all the way to his room to sleep. Xiao Ci peeked out cautiously while closing the door, wondering why he was acting like a madman.
On the other side, Qin Nai felt awkward after Yu Zaixi left. He focused his attention on others, avoiding Jiang Yan’s gaze to stay unnoticed. But Yu Zaixi’s telepathic message was hard to ignore. Miao Pei saw a flash of light; a small array had opened before Qin Nai, ripples of light spreading out like water as a letter appeared in mid-air with glowing golden characters.
What is it? It is a message from Brother Yu! Miao Pei ran over, but since the message was brief, it vanished before he arrived, leaving only specks of white light falling like dust. Miao Pei and Qin Nai looked at each other, the former rubbing his nose with a sheepish grin. Brother Yu does not want us to see.
Qin Nai broke into a cold sweat. He clearly felt Jiang Yan’s gaze sweep over them as Miao Pei spoke. He shook his head with a smile. Not at all. It was just a very short message; it disappeared before you arrived.
Then what did Brother Yu say? Miao Pei asked, dense as ever.
He told me to notify him immediately if anything happened.
As Qin Nai spoke, the cold sensation on his back faded—Jiang Yan had looked away. Qin Nai breathed a silent sigh of relief and cursed Yu Zaixi for causing so much trouble. When Jiang Yan was around, he felt like a heavy piece of ice; even if the pressure was intense, he was restrained. But when Jiang Yan was alone, he became a blade forged in ice. Wherever he pointed, death followed.
Thinking this, Qin Nai walked into the shadows and stole a glance at Jiang Yan. Jiang Yan’s face was grim as he listened to Dalu. The old, rickety chair he sat on looked miserable; it had nearly fallen apart when Yu Zaixi sat on it last night. Jiang Yan’s exquisite, ornate attire looked completely out of place in such a setting.
Why is he grim? Qin Nai wondered. Is it because of Yu Zaixi, or because of what Dalu is saying?
Last night, Dalu had only mentioned a restless spirit and had been vague about its origins. But now that Jiang Yan was here, and Miao Pei had introduced Jiang Yan by his full name, Dalu spilled everything. It turned out the desolation of the city was man-made; someone had deliberately destroyed it. The spirit was a man who had died defending the city. After death, for unknown reasons, he had become a ghost wandering the city—neither harming anyone nor leaving.
Miao Pei was crouching by the door, studying two small lion statues, but he began listening intently when the Tianji Pavilion was mentioned. The man had wanted to join the Tianji Pavilion when he was alive; he had begged twice, but the outer sect would not accept him. He could not even become a servant, and he had failed miserably at the disciple tryouts. Later, he had returned to the city to cultivate alone, still dreaming of entering the sect. That was decades ago. About thirty years later, someone came to destroy the city, and he was the only one who stood up.
Dalu was a terrible storyteller; every part of his narrative was muddled. Miao Pei could not help but ask, Why did they come to destroy the city?
There were grudges, Dalu said with a bitter smile. Old grievances between kingdoms and cities. There are always such things.
It remained muddled. Qin Nai sighed silently. Forget it, I will just assume he is hiding it on purpose.
It does not matter, Jiang Yan finally spoke. Can we see him during the day?
We can, but should we not open the Path of Rebirth at night? Dalu asked, confused.
Jiang Yan did not explain. He stood up and told Dalu to lead the way. Dalu did not dare say more and led them out. Miao Pei followed immediately, and after a moment of hesitation, Qin Nai followed too. Before leaving, he set an array on the courtyard and gave two talismans to Su Mo. If there is any danger, stick these on yourself.
Su Mo walked him to the door and, seeing Jiang Yan and the others had already left, whispered, Immortal, please be careful. The situation is tricky; it is not something ordinary people can solve.
Qin Nai did not think much of it, taking it as a word of caution for his journey. Thank you.
Dalu led the three to the City Lord’s mansion. Miao Pei asked, When the incident happened, did the residents manage to escape?
No. Dalu, long accustomed to decades of sorrow, pushed open the mansion gates. Inside lay a dense forest of tombstones. The remains I could find, I buried here. For those without remains, I gathered their personal belongings from their homes to create cenotaphs.
Miao Pei stared in disbelief; there was barely a place to step. A casual glance revealed over a hundred graves. Are they all here?
Not all. Many are buried at the old City Lord’s mansion.
Miao Pei could not help but look up at the plaque. A small city like this has two City Lord’s mansions?
Yes. Dalu walked in first, offering no explanation.
Miao Pei dared not ask more, fearing he would uncover another tragic story. The experience of being slaughtered was too painful, and those who survived had spent decades living in the shadow of that hatred. The three followed him down a path wide enough for only one foot.
Before they reached the end, they felt a gust of wind. Miao Pei drew his saber to protect the formation master, but Jiang Yan did not even lift an eyelid. With a flick of his sleeve, the soul rushing toward them was sent flying back dozens of feet. The spirit’s incorporeal body slammed into the wall, struggling to stand and charge again.
Dalu quickly whispered, Your Highness, this is someone I brought to help you. Do not be unruly.
After he spoke, Jiang Yan showed some interest. He turned his head, staring at that familiar face—a face he had seen not long ago—and asked with a smile, Tang Yuqiu?
Qin Nai was completely stunned. After confirming it several times, as the spirit finally calmed down and stared at them with resentment, he muttered, Master?
That face was exactly like his master’s. Moreover, his master’s full name was Tang Yuqiu!