I shall depart first.

Page 1 of 3

Ji Guanqi’s expression was so utterly candid as he spoke—and he had always been the most responsible of senior brothers, treating his juniors with exceptional care—that no one suspected the motive behind his words. Qiao You, standing nearby, looked at Wu Xingbai with hopeful eyes and said, “Master, please take a look at Junior Brother Xi Yao. His injuries are severe.”

Wu Xingbai’s gaze remained fixed on Ji Guanqi. He knew perfectly well that those were words Ji Guanqi might genuinely say, yet he still felt inexplicably displeased.

“I have sealed his spiritual power. Take him back to the sect at once.” Wu Xingbai had no intention of leaving. With a sweep of his sleeve, he said, “Go.”

This was beyond Ji Guanqi’s expectations. He had thought Wu Xingbai would agree immediately. After all, Xi Yao was the disciple he cared about most.

But Wu Xingbai had always been a man whose word was final. Since he had spoken, nothing Qiao You said could change his mind. Ji Guanqi therefore had Qiao You take Xi Yao away and hurry back to the sect.

“Aren’t you going?” Wu Xingbai suddenly asked.

The question was directed at Xiao Tangqing. Everyone’s attention immediately turned toward him. His expression shifted slightly before he answered, “Third Junior Brother’s cultivation is profound. I doubt anyone could stop him. I will remain here and accompany Master.”

Wu Xingbai had asked casually. Since Xiao Tangqing had answered him that way, he merely cast the other man a light glance. The look appeared calm, yet Xiao Tangqing instinctively took a step back and immediately lowered his head, not daring to meet his eyes.

After what had happened, everyone became even more vigilant than before. Wu Xingbai returned to the temple and sat down to rest. When Ji Guanqi prepared to deal with the things outside, Wu Xingbai stopped him directly.

“Guanqi.”

Ji Guanqi halted and turned around. “What are your orders, Master?”

As soon as he finished speaking, something was tossed toward him. Ji Guanqi caught it smoothly, then heard Wu Xingbai say with his eyes closed, “Take it. It is an antidote pill.”

Ji Guanqi, who had been hesitating over his injuries, paused slightly. He had never told anyone about the wound hidden beneath his sleeve. He had intended to treat it himself, yet Wu Xingbai’s eyes had evidently noticed everything. The medicine bottle was weighty in his hand, though its delicate shape made it look small and exquisite.

“Thank you, Master.”

He assumed it was the same kind of antidote pill Wu Xingbai had given Xi Yao, so he opened the bottle without hesitation. But the moment the stopper was removed, an intoxicating fragrance surged forth. Anyone could tell that the pill inside was of extraordinary grade.

No one was more shocked than Ji Guanqi.

He remembered clearly that in his previous life, this very pill had been given to Xi Yao.

“Master,” Ji Guanqi said at once. “You must have given me the wrong pill. This is far too precious.”

“I did not give you the wrong one.” Wu Xingbai opened his eyes and looked steadily at him. His tone was calm. “It is for you.”

After a moment’s thought, he rose and walked toward Ji Guanqi. Wu Xingbai was already somewhat taller than him, and the pressure radiating from his body was formidable. Ji Guanqi instinctively wanted to retreat, but before he could move, Wu Xingbai pressed a hand against his shoulder.

Ji Guanqi froze. At the same time, he felt an exceptionally pure current of spiritual power flow into his disordered meridians. The spiritual power that had become sluggish from the poison began circulating again.

“What are you waiting for?” Wu Xingbai said. “Take the medicine.”

Ji Guanqi held the little porcelain bottle. After only a moment’s hesitation, he poured out the pill and swallowed it.

Unlike Xi Yao, he had no crowd of people protecting him. His meridians and spiritual power were already in a terrible state. If he was not careful and suffered some kind of aftereffect, he would have no one to turn to. Since Wu Xingbai had given him the pill, he had no reason to refuse.

Besides… this was something he himself had recovered. It was only right that he should take it.

“How do you feel?” Wu Xingbai asked only after Ji Guanqi’s spiritual power had gradually stabilized. “Do not stay too close to people of unknown origin.”

“Master, Junior Brother Xi Yao was more seriously injured than I was just now. Why was that antidote pill not given to him…?” Ji Guanqi could not restrain himself from asking. Looking at Wu Xingbai, he felt that the man was behaving rather strangely.

A possibility flashed through his mind. His gaze darkened slightly, but then, as respectful as ever, he asked, “Master, why have you not been carrying the Fangtian painted halberd lately? Evil cultivators are causing trouble here. If you were ambushed, it might put you in danger.”

“It is of no consequence,” Wu Xingbai said.

Ji Guanqi had always felt that Wu Xingbai’s words were exceedingly precious—each one worth its weight in gold. Either he said nothing at all, or he spoke only a word or two. He rarely paid attention to anyone, spending his days either cultivating or cultivating.

When Ji Guanqi went outside, he glanced back at Wu Xingbai, who stood beside the divine statue. He found the thought that had arisen in his mind absurd.

How could he have suddenly thought that Wu Xingbai might also have been reborn?

If Wu Xingbai truly had returned from the dead, he would probably have expelled Ji Guanqi from the sect long ago. How could he have tolerated him until now?

As for the antidote pill not being given to Xi Yao, Ji Guanqi thought it over carefully. Perhaps it was because his own rebirth had brought about subtle changes. He simply did not know whether those changes were for good or ill.

The divine statue inside the temple had been wiped clean by Ji Guanqi. Its eyes were lowered slightly, as though gazing upon the myriad forms of mortal life below.

Wu Xingbai suddenly turned around and looked at the statue. After a moment of silence, he slowly knelt down and murmured something under his breath.

There was no one beside him, and no one would ever know what he had said.

After Qiao You departed with Xi Yao, the disciples chattered among themselves and asked question after question. In such a short time, Xi Yao had evidently become close with everyone. Yet none of them dared ask Xiao Tangqing, so they could only turn to Ji Guanqi.

“Junior Brother Qiao You’s cultivation is profound. With him escorting Junior Brother Xi Yao back to the sect, and with the sect’s medicinal support, he should be fine,” Ji Guanqi said with a faint smile.

Only after hearing this did the other disciples relax. They were about to continue questioning him when they discovered that Ji Guanqi had already left.

“Senior Brother truly is as refined and courteous as the rumors say,” one disciple murmured. “It is only a pity that his cultivation…”

“Senior Brother’s talent is not especially high, but his cultivation is not weak either. It is just that compared with the chief disciples of other sects, he really is…” another disciple said. “It is rather unfortunate.”

The moment they finished speaking, a chill swept over their backs. When they turned around, they saw Xiao Tangqing standing behind them with a gloomy expression. His gaze swept lightly over the two of them before he said flatly, “Accept your punishment.”

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

Knowing they were in the wrong, the two disciples did not dare say anything. They immediately knelt down.

Thus, when Ji Guanqi passed by, he saw the two disciples who had just been speaking kneeling on the ground. As he passed them, he noticed Xiao Tangqing not far away. Taking the attitude that it was better to avoid trouble, he simply turned around and left.

He walked close to the temple wall, his back turned toward Xiao Tangqing. His shoulders and spine were straight, his frame slightly lean, his narrow waist bound simply. Yet even that silhouette drew several more glances from Xiao Tangqing.

He always remembered the figure he had seen through the mist before falling unconscious. It had looked very much like the back of the person who had carried him out of the secret realm three months earlier.

And that figure bore some resemblance to Ji Guanqi’s back before him.

But everyone else had said that Ji Guanqi had been at the far end of the village at the time. It should not have been him. Otherwise, given Ji Guanqi’s nature, how could he have walked away after seeing Xiao Tangqing gravely wounded and left him to his fate?

Moreover, three months earlier… Ji Guanqi himself had been seriously injured. How could he possibly have entered the secret realm to save him?

Page 2 of 3

“Of course. Thinking about it day and night has made me start seeing things,” Xiao Tangqing muttered with a low laugh, shaking his head.

The entirety of Luo Town had been wiped out, leaving not a single survivor. Yet they had not come away empty-handed. They had found a few more objects on the men who had self-destructed. Dark golden runes still covered them, but no one understood their meaning. Even Xiao Tangqing, who usually enjoyed studying such crooked and unorthodox arts, could not identify them.

“Once we return to the sect, I will look through the scrolls concerning runes,” Xiao Tangqing said.

“Very well,” Ji Guanqi replied.

Xiao Tangqing paused briefly, then remarked as though casually, “It seems these talismans can disturb the mind, making people develop a strong interest in using and cultivating them. Their ability to lure people in is considerable.”

“Then be careful, Junior Brother,” Ji Guanqi said indifferently.

Xiao Tangqing held the objects and remained where he was for a long time. Only after Ji Guanqi’s figure had vanished from sight did he place them inside his Cosmos Bag.

On the way from Luo Town to Springwater City, the group encountered several evil cultivators. But those cultivators were already dead. Every meridian in their bodies had been shattered, leaving them as withered as dried grass. With only a casual glance, Wu Xingbai knew that their cultivation and spiritual power had been drained from them before they died.

“What kind of sinister technique is this? I have never seen it before,” one disciple murmured.

But no one dared answer him.

There were no traces of any other evil cultivators nearby, and Wu Xingbai did not pursue the matter. No one dared say anything more. Just as Xiao Tangqing was preparing to follow behind Wu Xingbai, he raised his head and met Wu Xingbai’s eyes.

At once, it felt as though a basin of cold water had been poured over his head. The sensation was impossible to describe. For a moment, Xiao Tangqing felt that his master had already seen through everything.

Yet he had clearly acted with the utmost care. By all reason, there should have been no flaws.

Wu Xingbai said nothing, however, as though the feeling were merely an illusion born of Xiao Tangqing’s guilty conscience.

Leaning against a tree, Ji Guanqi looked at the corpses on the ground. He knew at a glance whose work this was. With a quiet sigh, he thought that Xiao Tangqing had ultimately embarked upon the same path as in his previous life.

This time, however, he did not know who would desperately protect him.

In any case, it would not be Ji Guanqi.

It took little more than an hour to travel by sword from Luo Town to Springwater City. The antidote pill’s effects were indeed remarkable. It was worthy of being a supreme-grade pill. The poison in the back of Ji Guanqi’s hand soon dissipated, and not only did the spiritual power within him cease to feel sluggish, it circulated more smoothly than before.

If the pill had not been so rare—and if he himself had not been without one—he truly would have wanted to obtain a few more.

“What are you thinking about?” Wu Xingbai was beside Ji Guanqi. The moment he noticed his companion’s distraction, he asked, “Are you still feeling unwell?”

“This disciple is perfectly well now. Thank you for your concern, Master,” Ji Guanqi replied at once.

He was always unfailingly courteous, never overstepping the slightest boundary. He had been the same in the past, yet Wu Xingbai always felt that something about him was different now.

If he had to say what it was, perhaps Ji Guanqi had once carried, to some degree, a desire to grow closer to him—though he had always tried hard to restrain it.

Now, however, Wu Xingbai sensed only distance from him.

“Between the two of us, there is no need to be so formal,” Wu Xingbai said after forcing himself to hold back, though in the end he could not help speaking.

“I would not dare.” Ji Guanqi lowered his head even further and said softly, “I revere you, Master. I would never dare treat you carelessly.”

“Revere me, and nothing more?” Wu Xingbai’s gaze darkened.

Ji Guanqi looked up in surprise. Wu Xingbai’s question was decidedly unlike his usual self. Yet the confusion in Ji Guanqi’s eyes seemed to please him. A rare trace of amusement appeared in his eyes as he looked at Ji Guanqi and said, “When we return to the sect, move into the Southern Suppression Hall.”

Ji Guanqi’s expression became slightly strained. The subtle change did not escape Wu Xingbai’s notice, and his gaze grew colder.

“You are unwilling?”

“No. This disciple is very willing.”

Ji Guanqi had no intention of displeasing Wu Xingbai at a time like this, though he had no idea what this Immortal Lord of Southern Suppression intended.

If the Ji Guanqi of his previous life had heard those words, he would have been so delighted that he could not sleep for three days and three nights.

But that Ji Guanqi was already dead.

As the saying went, once a person died, he ought to learn to let some things go.

Wu Xingbai, having been placated, was in an excellent mood. Even Xiao Tangqing, who was occupied at the rear of the group, could sense it. He moved closer to Ji Guanqi and asked in a low voice, “What did you say to make Master so happy?”

“Master said that once we return to the sect, he will bring Junior Brother to the Southern Suppression Hall,” Ji Guanqi replied, lying with an utterly composed expression.

Xiao Tangqing paused. He instinctively glanced toward Wu Xingbai and lowered his voice. “Junior Brother?”

“Master believes Junior Brother has astonishing talent and an unlimited future, so he wants to keep him by his side and teach him personally.”

Ji Guanqi looked so upright and sincere, and his reputation had always been so good, that Xiao Tangqing did not suspect him. Still, his mood fell slightly after hearing this, and he did not seek Ji Guanqi out again for the rest of the journey.

This was also within Ji Guanqi’s expectations. Although Xiao Tangqing had recently seemed quite close to him, one had to remember that this man was deeply in love with Xi Yao.

Compared with Qiao You, Xiao Tangqing merely hid his feelings more deeply, while Qiao You allowed his feelings to show. Of course, the one who concealed himself most deeply was none other than their own master.

With Xiao Tangqing no longer coming to him, Ji Guanqi enjoyed the peace and quiet. Even the scenery along the way seemed more beautiful.

Then Wu Xingbai summoned him back halfway through the journey. The two traveled one in front of the other without exchanging a word, the atmosphere awkward and oppressive.

“Qingluan is always unwilling to eat and is difficult to discipline,” Wu Xingbai said first. “It listens only to you.”

“Qingluan is a spirit beast and has a mind of its own. Perhaps the food simply does not suit its taste,” Ji Guanqi said softly.

When Wu Xingbai looked at him and saw his meek, downcast expression, something tightened faintly in his chest. The corners of his lips lowered slightly.

“Since leaving seclusion, you have come to the Southern Suppression Hall only once.”

Page 3 of 3

Ji Guanqi almost laughed at those words.

In his previous life, he had gone to the Southern Suppression Hall frequently, yet in the end he had only caused Wu Xingbai to grow tired of him. In this life, he had learned his lesson and kept his distance, but now the Immortal Lord was displeased again.

Truly, he was impossibly difficult to deal with.

“The Blessed Grotto-Heaven is about to open. This disciple has merely been preparing the things Master will need for the journey,” Ji Guanqi answered flawlessly.

The Blessed Grotto-Heaven was a supreme-grade secret realm containing many treasures rarely seen in the cultivation world. Any one of them would be enough to drive cultivators into a desperate struggle. Yet the secret realm opened only once every several decades, at no fixed time. They had received word only recently that it was about to open again, and every sect was making preparations.

Ji Guanqi remembered clearly that in his previous life, Wu Xingbai had brought out many items from the realm, almost all of which he had given to Xi Yao. He had given a few scattered treasures to Qiao You and Xiao Tangqing as well.

As for Ji Guanqi… he had suffered severe injuries inside and returned to the sect alone.

He had returned too late. No one had left anything for him.

Hearing his explanation, Wu Xingbai spoke with unusual gentleness. “You need not trouble yourself with these matters. Leave them to the other disciples. Once we enter the Blessed Grotto-Heaven, stay by my side. Do not leave even a single step.”

“Yes, Master,” Ji Guanqi answered readily.

He would appease Wu Xingbai for now and think about the rest later.

In his excellent mood, Wu Xingbai even increased his speed. The disciples following behind suffered greatly. By the time they reached Springwater City, every one of them was so exhausted that they could barely walk.

“We have finally reached Springwater City,” one disciple panted. “We can rest our feet at last.”

A journey that should have taken an hour and a half had been forcibly reduced to little more than half an hour. The disciples felt that this half hour had exhausted them more than the preceding several days combined. Their heads drooped, and none of them had any energy left.

“You said you had stayed in Springwater City before?” Xiao Tangqing still remembered what Ji Guanqi had told those people earlier. He approached him and asked, “When was that?”

“I was only fooling them. I did not expect them to believe me.” Ji Guanqi looked up at the stone carvings above the city gate, where the words “Springwater City” were engraved.

He had indeed never been to Springwater City and was unfamiliar with the area. Still, wherever they went, they merely needed to find an inn and rest. The moment they entered the city, everyone discovered that Springwater City was worlds apart from Luo Town. Though the two places were not far from each other, their prosperity differed as greatly as heaven and earth.

Springwater City was aptly named. A moat encircled the city, while a long Springwater River ran through its center. Pleasure boats floated upon it during the day, while at night flower boats adorned with colored lanterns drifted across its waters. In the distance stood the city lord’s residence, with carved beams and painted rafters surrounded by spiritual energy. It was grand beyond measure.

Cities like this were often home to more than one cultivation clan. Thus, the moment Wu Xingbai and the others entered the city, they concealed their auras. He disliked being disturbed by outsiders, so Ji Guanqi instructed the disciples not to reveal their identities.

“There are quite a few cultivators in this city,” Xiao Tangqing remarked after casually scanning the surroundings. “It seems to be a decent place.”

“Most of them are rogue cultivators.” Though Ji Guanqi had never visited, he had heard about it. “Springwater City lies on the border of the Xuantian Sect’s territory, precisely where the territories of the Xuantian Sect and the Myriad Beasts Sect meet. That is why there are so many rogue cultivators here, along with numerous trading markets.”

Fortunately, the few men who had self-destructed earlier had been plagued by guilt and had been unable to withstand the pressure. If they had been tougher and insisted that they had merely come to seek refuge with relatives in Springwater City, then even Ji Guanqi, with his meticulous mind, would have been powerless to deal with them.

The group soon found a quiet and elegant inn. After spending a considerable sum of silver, they rented nearly the entire establishment.

Wu Xingbai walked straight upstairs and stopped before his room. He had assumed Ji Guanqi would continue sharing a room with him, but Ji Guanqi went directly to the room at the very end of the corridor.

The inn was rather large. There was no need for them to squeeze into a single room when plenty of rooms were available.

Watching Ji Guanqi’s figure disappear from sight, Wu Xingbai’s gaze darkened. He turned and surveyed the inn’s elegant interior, suddenly becoming displeased with the place itself.

If only he had known, he would have chosen a smaller inn.

Ji Guanqi, however, was delighted. He lay down on the bed, but when he heard footsteps approaching from outside, he immediately sat up. He then saw Xiao Tangqing standing at the door.

“Senior Brother, may I come in?”

“What is it?”

Ji Guanqi did not invite him inside. Xiao Tangqing’s foot, which had just stepped forward, stiffened slightly. Pretending not to understand the unspoken meaning of Ji Guanqi’s words, he entered the room anyway and stood beside the door.

“Senior Brother, I remember that the antidote pill Master gave you was something you previously offered to him. There were two pills in total. You gave one to Master and kept the other for yourself. Junior Brother has been deeply poisoned. Could Senior Brother give him the remaining pill first? I will certainly find another one of the same kind and return it to you later.”

Ji Guanqi patiently listened to him finish, then could not help laughing.

The sound left Xiao Tangqing baffled. He did not know what was wrong with his words and hesitated before asking, “What do you mean, Senior Brother?”

“Do you think I obtained an antidote pill in a place overrun with miasma, poison, and venomous parasites?” Ji Guanqi rose and pushed open the window beside the room. From there, he had an excellent view of the Springwater River. Once night fell, he would certainly be able to watch the flower boats gliding across the water.

His mood improved slightly, and he smiled. “There were indeed two pills, but I already took one back then. Otherwise, how do you think I would have survived until today? You think far too highly of me, Junior Brother.”

Xiao Tangqing paused.

He had not truly come to ask for the antidote pill. He had merely wanted to exchange a few words with Ji Guanqi, but somehow the conversation had taken an awkward turn.

Yet Ji Guanqi had always been the one most concerned with his fellow disciples. Whenever he heard that someone had been injured, he would inevitably take it to heart.

“Do you need anything else, Junior Brother? If not, I would like to rest,” Ji Guanqi said when he saw that Xiao Tangqing still had no intention of leaving.

His meaning was already so clear that even Xiao Tangqing, thick-skinned as he was, could not remain. He could only retreat a step.

Just as he was about to leave, the door of the room beside them opened. Wu Xingbai emerged with a cold expression and said only, “There is a matter within the sect. I will return as quickly as possible. Wait here until I come back.”

Then he left without another unnecessary word.

Ji Guanqi, who had been somewhat drowsy moments earlier, immediately sprang upright. Excitement shone in his eyes.

He had just been cursing fate inwardly, and now the most troublesome person had left. Ji Guanqi suddenly felt that his good days were finally about to begin.