21 Escape

“Junior Brother.”

Just as Xiao Tangqing was about to leave, Ji Guanqi suddenly called out to him. Startled, he turned back and asked, “What is it?”

In the past, he had found Ji Guanqi noisy and annoying. Later, when Ji rarely spoke to him, hearing Ji call out to him now actually made him feel somewhat flattered. Realizing this, Xiao Tangqing couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“Our Master is not here. How about we take the junior brothers out for a walk? We shouldn’t keep them cooped up too long,” Ji Guanqi suggested gently.

His expression was mild, genuinely considerate of the others.

Xiao Tangqing hesitated briefly but eventually nodded. “But we shouldn’t go too far. We don’t know when Master will return. If he comes back and doesn’t see us, he might be displeased.”

That remark hit exactly the right note with Ji Guanqi, who immediately nodded, feigning some inner conflict.

“Senior Brother, do you have something to say?” Xiao Tangqing asked.

“I was just thinking—you’re right. Master didn’t say when he’d be back or why he left the sect,” Ji paused, lowering his gaze as he deliberately steered the conversation toward Xi Yao. A worried look crossed his face. “Junior Brother Xi Yao was poisoned badly. I don’t know if Qiao You has brought him back to the sect or how his condition is now.”

“If you’re concerned, you can just send a voice message to Qiao You,” Xiao Tangqing said, his eyes flickering with concern at the mention of Xi Yao’s grave injury.

“You know Qiao You’s temperament. If you send him a message, that’s one thing. But if it’s me, he’d probably burn the communication talisman on the spot,” Ji Guanqi sighed helplessly. “But since Master has left, it’s probably nothing too serious. We just don’t know when he’ll return. As you said, if Master comes back and finds the inn empty, he’ll be displeased. But these junior brothers rarely get a chance to go out, and this is their first real trial. Keeping them stuck in the inn would be tedious.”

After listening to Ji’s reasoning, Xiao Tangqing finally caught his meaning. He probed cautiously, “You want to take them out while I stay here to wait for Master?”

“Junior Brother, do you agree?” Ji Guanqi smiled and offered a second option: “Or, if you don’t mind the trouble, you take the junior brothers out for a stroll, and I’ll stay here and wait for Master.”

Suddenly, Ji’s brow furrowed slightly. He raised a hand to cover his mouth and coughed several times, as if struggling to hold back.

“Your injury still hasn’t healed?” Xiao Tangqing stepped forward, about to check, but Ji Guanqi dodged him. He looked a little weak but said, “Junior Brother, you decide. My injury isn’t serious; I just need time to digest the antidote. It’s nothing major.”

As Xiao Tangqing hesitated, Ji Guanqi added another reason: “Master’s not here now, but the evil cultivators who slaughtered Luo Town must have infiltrated Springwater City. We can’t just wait to be killed.”

The words “evil cultivators” made Xiao Tangqing’s expression flicker. He was clearly shaken.

“If you take the juniors out, be careful. If you encounter any evil cultivators, make sure to protect yourself and the junior brothers,” Ji seized the moment to make his decision. “Go now. The flower boat tonight is about to set sail. If you wait for Master, you might not be able to leave at all.”

If Wu Xingbai returned, no one would be able to leave.

Xiao Tangqing glanced at Ji Guanqi before replying, “Alright. I’ll take the juniors to stroll around Springwater City. It’s a rare outing for them to see the sights. Senior Brother, you take care and rest well. If anything happens, send me a message immediately, and I’ll come at once.”

“Good.” Ji Guanqi’s voice was gentle—this was the Ji Guanqi Xiao Tangqing remembered: humble, courteous, and refined.

But they always forgot that others also described Ji Guanqi as “free-spirited, graceful, and full of youthful vigor.”

When the other disciples heard they could go out and play, their spirits lifted. However, out of respect for Xiao Tangqing’s somewhat cold demeanor, they didn’t act rashly. One disciple noticed Ji Guanqi did not accompany them and asked, “Senior Brother Xiao, isn’t Senior Brother going with us to see the flower boat and cruise the lake?”

“He still has poison inside his body and hasn’t healed yet. He needs to rest,” Xiao Tangqing said.

Though puzzled, the others did not press further.

Ji Guanqi leaned against the windowsill, watching the group’s backs. His heart relaxed considerably. He knew Xiao Tangqing would go out because if he wanted to speed up his cultivation, he had to absorb the power of other cultivators—but none of this could be seen by Wu Xingbai. Otherwise, given Wu’s temperament, a single strike from the Fangtian Halberd would end Xiao Tangqing like the old Ji Guanqi of the previous life.

He chuckled quietly. Xiao Tangqing dared only to absorb the power of those evil cultivators, never committing any immoral acts. Otherwise, the righteous elders who once tried to kill Xiao Tangqing could have found proof of him killing righteous cultivators. Those false accusations were even broken by Ji Guanqi—otherwise, no matter how much Ji wanted to protect Xiao Tangqing, he couldn’t.

Passing beneath the windowsill, Xiao Tangqing seemed to feel Ji Guanqi’s gaze. He turned to look at the one leaning on the windowsill, who casually waved him on, signaling him to hurry and that he would wait there for his return.

“I’ll be back soon,” Xiao Tangqing said.

Ji Guanqi raised a brow and replied, “Good, I’ll wait.”

Xiao Tangqing smiled faintly and then confidently led the juniors toward the flower boat and lake. The stroll was an excuse; his real purpose was to seek out the evil cultivators.

“Haste makes waste,” Ji Guanqi murmured softly.

Watching Xiao Tangqing disappear into the distance, Ji Guanqi changed his expression. He flipped down from the windowsill and quickly scanned the room to ensure he hadn’t left anything behind. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped abruptly and took out a jade-white token from his spatial pouch. Three large characters gleamed on it: “Xuantian Order.”

“As long as I have this, they can find me anywhere. But if I break it, Wu Xingbai will sense it immediately,” Ji Guanqi frowned and scanned the surroundings before fixing his gaze on a passing dog.

Meanwhile, unaware of all this, Wu Xingbai sat in the sect leader’s main hall, his face cold. “What is this ‘Heavenly Dao anomaly’?”

“The disciple stationed by the Heavenly Dao stone tablet just reported cracks appearing on it. It seems the Heavenly Dao has changed,” the sect leader said with a smile to his friend. “I only asked you to return briefly. Why such anger? I’ve heard about Luo Town from Qiao You. With Guanqi and Tangqing involved, there should be no problem.”

“An attack is met with defense; water is blocked by earth. The Heavenly Dao is always unpredictable. Don’t take it to heart,” Wu Xingbai said, stifling his frustration. As he was about to leave, the sect leader continued, “You look so upset. I’ve never seen you so unrestrained before. You must be anxious about your junior apprentice, right? Don’t worry. Although Xi Yao was deeply poisoned, his meridians were sealed in time. He has taken the antidote and is resting. He will recover soon. If you’re uneasy, go see him yourself.”

“Why do you think I’m anxious because of Xi Yao?” Wu Xingbai asked in confusion.

Why did everyone always assume he worried because of Xi Yao? He had heard this many times before.

“Isn’t that so? When Guanqi returned from the Blessed Land’s secret realm gravely injured, you didn’t visit him. When Tangqing came back badly hurt, you never said a word. And Qiao You… well, it’s only since you took on a junior apprentice that you’ve shown any kindness,” the sect leader smiled and stepped forward. “Go. I’m sure Xi Yao is waiting for his Master.”

When the sect leader mentioned Guanqi’s near-fatal injuries from the Blessed Land, Wu Xingbai’s ears rang, and he could hear nothing else. His breath caught slightly.

A trace of darkness flickered in his eyes as he calmly said, “I’m not anxious because of Xi Yao.”

Ignoring the sect leader’s surprise, he left. Before returning to Springwater City, he intended to visit the Southern Defense Hall. Inside was a white crane-feather cloak, specially sent by the sect leader for Ji Guanqi. It was the perfect protective artifact—resistant to water and fire, impervious to blades and spears.

The Southern Defense Hall was as quiet as usual. Two disciples sweeping at the entrance saw Wu Xingbai return and hurriedly greeted him respectfully, “Welcome, Immortal Lord.”

Wu Xingbai had no time to talk. The two disciples felt like a gust of wind had passed by and barely noticed. Inside, the spiritual herbs had withered, unattended. Wu paused briefly and noticed the absence of the azure phoenix, which usually fluttered around, asserting its presence.

After retrieving the white crane-feather cloak, Wu Xingbai asked the two disciples before leaving, “Where is the Azure Phoenix?”

Wu Xingbai rarely spoke to them, so they were honored and quickly knelt, nervously replying, “The Azure Phoenix should be inside the hall. If not, it’s probably playing in the back mountain.”

“Good. Take good care of it,” Wu ordered.

“Yes, Immortal Lord,” they answered promptly, heads bowed.

“Also, prepare a room near mine,” Wu added.

“Yes, Immortal Lord. Is Senior Brother Xi Yao moving in? Should we bring his belongings into the hall first?” The two disciples tried to curry favor but were met with a sharp look. Their hearts sank, and they knelt in silence. Then, Wu’s voice came from above: “Not Xi Yao. It’s my first disciple who will live here from now on.”

“Oh, Senior Brother…” the disciples quickly said, “We’ll prepare everything well. Please rest assured, Immortal Lord.”

Just before leaving, Wu Xingbai suddenly remembered something and turned back. “Do not mention others’ names in front of Guanqi from now on.”

The vague remark confused the two disciples, but they obediently responded.

At this moment, Ji Guanqi had already withdrawn his spiritual energy and was walking alone through the streets. He had changed his appearance to look like an ordinary cultivator.

“Brother, are you heading to the flower boat?” Ji spotted Xiao Tangqing approaching and immediately struck up a conversation with a passing cultivator, pretending to chat. Xiao Tangqing passed by without noticing, continuing on his way. Ji Guanqi finally breathed a sigh of relief. His concealment of aura was indeed excellent—so much so that even someone as sensitive to spiritual energy as Xiao Tangqing did not detect him.

“The flower boat is ahead, but you have to go early. If you go now, there might be no seats left,” a kind cultivator advised. Ji smiled and cupped his hands. “Thank you for the reminder. I’m just going to join the fun.”

With that, he walked on, heading in the opposite direction of Xiao Tangqing.