Chapter 127: Master's Order: I still have some questions in my mind that need to be clarified. ...
In the cave of Lingshanze, Xie Hanyi finally completed a small cycle of luck. While taking a break, he received the news that Jiang Hanqiu had just delivered.
"At around 1:15 PM, the Sect Leader's spiritual altar suddenly collapsed, and he immediately passed out from exhaustion... At 2:15 PM, Senior Brother Qin sent a message... The Sect Leader has left behind a secret command talisman..."
The message was very long, listing almost all the important details. It was obvious that although the secret order token was there and the sect seemed calm and there would be no chaos, Jiang Hanqiu still could not be completely relieved and wanted to tell Xie Hanyi everything he knew.
Xie Hanyi looked carefully.
For the past few decades, he had been detached from the world, barely interacting with anyone. Sect Leader Qi Yuanbai was the only one in the world who could summon him from Lingshanze. Despite his aloof nature, he and Qi Yuanbai were like brothers, and because of his affection for his deceased master, Qi Guiyuan, he held Qi Yuanbai in high esteem.
He was naturally worried about Qi Yuanbai's situation and wanted to write again to inquire about the situation, but soon, as his fingertips touched the jade token, he suddenly stopped.
Several important moments in the news seemed to coincide with the times when his blood was failing.
He thought for a moment, put away the jade token, glanced at the Qingbai Frost Sword beside him that had become scrap metal, silently put away the jade token, stood up and walked out of the cave.
Coincidentally, Mu Fuyun, who had just returned from Guizang Palace, was walking towards the cave. When he saw him coming out of meditation, he hurried forward and asked with concern, "Master, why did you come out? Did you receive news from Uncle Jiang?"
Xie Hanyi nodded. Perhaps it was because his breathing exercises had paid off, but his haggard and frail face before entering the cave now looked much better. However, his expression was solemn. He nodded upon hearing this, "Indeed, our sect leader is in a bad condition. All the peaks are now on alert. As a sect elder, I should go and visit him in person, just like the other brothers."
Mu Fuyun nodded, remembering what he had just said to Chu Ye and Song Xinghe in Guizang Hall. After a moment's thought, he said, "The Sect Master's critical illness came rather suddenly. I just heard from Senior Brother Chu that the Sect Master had an old illness. It was caused by the fluctuations in his spiritual veins during an advancement several years ago, and he nearly went into a trance. This is the root cause of the illness. Master, do you know about this?"
Xie Hanyi nodded without hesitation and said, "Master, the headmaster, mentioned this to me. His cultivation has become increasingly difficult in the past two years, and it may be related to this."
When a cultivator advances, in the initial stage, apart from a certain level of aptitude and talent, it all depends on personal effort. However, to reach a higher level, it also depends on chance. For example, it is common for people like Qi Yuanbai to find it difficult to break through after reaching a certain level.
Before he accepted Mu Fuyun as his disciple, he rarely left Lingshanze. He and Qi Yuanbai only occasionally communicated with each other using a jade token and never cared about other things.
Mu Fuyun continued, "Yes, I heard from my two senior brothers that the master's temperament has changed since he was injured and has become a little harsher than before."
Hearing this, Xie Hanyi's expression fluctuated slightly.
But he was silent for only a moment, without asking any more questions. Instead, he turned and went into the warehouse and took down an inconspicuous long sword from the high shelf in the middle.
The sheath of this sword is dark black, probably because it is very old and has been used for many years. It has been worn out and has lost its luster. Even the patterns carved on the hilt have been worn away a lot.
With his many years of experience in refining weapons, Mu Fuyun immediately felt that this seemingly ordinary sword must be a rare treasure.
It's just not as good as the broken Qingbai Frost Sword.
"Master will go to Guizang Hall first. You will stay in Lingshanze and wait for my return." As he spoke, he placed the sword on his waist and held it with one hand. Just as he was about to leave, he stopped and looked at Mu Fuyun. "Yun'er, our senior brother is critically ill. Although things are calm now, no one can predict whether there will be other changes inside or outside the sect. Master may stay in Guizang Hall. If you need anything else, you can find your uncle Jiang. She is someone you can trust."
Mu Fuyun felt uneasy after hearing his explanation and asked cautiously, "Master, what are you going to do?"
Xie Hanyi calmed down, a comforting smile slowly appearing on his cold and indifferent face. He said softly, "Senior Brother, the Sect Leader, and I are from the same sect and grew up together. Now that Senior Brother is in trouble and I am still able to move, I should go and visit him in person."
As he spoke, he put away his smile, tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword, and stared at her with a pair of deep eyes.
"Besides, I still have some questions in my mind that need to be clarified. Yun'er, you feel the same way, don't you?"
Mu Fuyun did not hide it from him, lowered his eyes and nodded silently.
"I only care about whether Master is in danger."
Xie Hanyi's eyes flickered, and his expression softened slightly. "Holding back at this moment is not what I should do as a sect elder and a junior fellow. Although I don't dare to call myself a powerful cultivator or a saint, I also don't want to be a selfish villain."
As he spoke, his expression became more intimate: "Besides, I have a sword, you see."
Mu Fuyun followed his words and moved his gaze to the sword at his waist. After a moment of patience, he finally had to tell the truth: "But Master is injured."
He was injured, his spiritual power was limited, and his strength was not as strong as before.
Xie Hanyi was stunned for a moment, not expecting her to say that. When he came to his senses, he couldn't help but frown: "It's okay, I'm still here."
These few short words made Mu Fuyun feel dazed again.
Many times before, it was Xie Hanyi who protected her and said "I am here" to her who was always used to being alone and relying on herself for everything. Is it her turn this time?
"Master, do you believe me?" She raised her head and looked at Xie Hanyi carefully, her eyes surprisingly bright.
Xie Hanyi answered without hesitation: "Of course I believe it."
Mu Fuyun tightened his hands hanging at his sides, and his back inexplicably straightened up, as if he felt an invisible but heavy burden falling on his shoulders.
However, she was not fooled by his sudden dependence. She smiled and took a few steps forward, moving closer to him. She looked up and said, "Then Master, please take me with you."
Xie Hanyi said nothing, and looked at her carefully, his eyes becoming duller and filled with a hint of worry.
"Master, I will only be guarding outside and will not disturb you or the headmaster." Without his consent, she took another step forward, moving closer to him, a hint of stubbornness at the corners of her pursed lips, "Didn't you just say you believed in me?"
Xie Hanyi was silent for a moment, ultimately unable to resist her unconvinced look. This child, I don't know how she learned this neither soft nor hard tactic.
"Forget it, go ahead if you want to." He sighed softly, helplessly raised his hand, bent his knuckles, and gently flicked the hair on her temples. He said seriously, "But, you must obey my orders in everything. You cannot disobey."
Mu Fuyun got the permission and nodded without hesitation: "Of course I will listen to Master."
Xie Hanyi nodded and said nothing more. He took her out of the cave, put on the energy-saving talisman, and walked towards Guizang Palace together.
He remained silent all the way until they reached the middle of the mountain. When the eaves of the Guizang Palace were clearly visible, he suddenly stopped, took out a pill from his pocket, and handed it to her: "Before you go up, you must take this first."
Mu Fuyun didn't take it, but moved closer. At the height of his palm, he sniffed carefully to identify the ingredients. He quickly took a half step back cautiously and shook his head, saying, "This is a Breath-Resisting Pill. Although it can restrain my breath and hide my figure so that others can't see me, it will also make me unable to move."
In this way, if there is real danger, he will do this to make it impossible for her to do anything.
Xie Hanyi hadn't intended to hide it from her, and he figured she'd be able to tell what it was. He sighed and said softly, "We agreed that you must obey my orders and not disobey."
As he spoke, with a rare unquestionable tone, he picked up the pill between his thumb and index finger and brought it to her lips.
This pill was exquisitely crafted, the size of a thumbnail, with a smooth, textureless surface and a faint golden sheen amidst its brownish-red hue. Clearly, it was highly effective. When it gently touched Mu Fuyun's soft lips, her gaze shifted, her lips parted slightly, and she took a breath. Before she could utter a rebuttal, the pill advanced another half inch, pressing against her lips and teeth, and before she knew it, it slipped into her mouth.
“Master—”
She protested vaguely and stretched out her hand to push him away, but his hand moved down first, holding her chin and pushing it upwards, occasionally stroking her throat. His other hand also rose and gently covered the top of her head, making it impossible for her to open her mouth.
The pill quickly melted in her mouth, and the bitter taste seeped down her throat, stimulating her so much that she couldn't help swallowing, and finally swallowed the pill.
"Okay." Xie Hanyi's cold face showed a hint of success. He took out another lotus seed candy from the mustard seed bag and fed it into her mouth. "This way it won't be bitter anymore."
Mu Fuyun glared at him. The matter was done. There was no time to linger any longer. He could only suppress his dissatisfaction, turned around, and walked straight ahead without looking back. He just said in a muffled voice, "Let's go."
The pill took effect after a while.
There was silence behind him. When she walked away and had already climbed more than ten stone steps, he heard footsteps following her closely.
After putting on the energy-saving talisman, even though he didn't use his spiritual power and couldn't fly with his sword, he soon arrived near Guizang Hall.
Mu Fuyun's figure disappeared at the edge of the stone steps. Xie Hanyi stood beside him, silent for a moment, without saying anything. He walked alone to the door of the main hall and knocked on the door.
The little Taoist boys who could be occasionally seen near Guizang Hall in the past were now nowhere to be seen, but the door of the main hall opened in response.
Xie Hanyi stepped inside and walked into the living room.
The interior furnishings remained the same, with smoke curling from the incense burner. Everything was quiet, as if nothing had happened. Only a familiar figure lay on the long bed, his face pale and bluish, his lips pressed tightly into a thin line, looking lifeless.
Chu Ye and Song Xinghe, who had been guarding Qi Yuanbai's bed, had been sent back. The room was empty. Xie Hanyi took two steps closer and stood beside the bed. He lowered his head slightly and stared at Qi Yuanbai lying on the bed. After a long moment, he whispered, "Brother, are you really going to die?"
The only response he received was silence in the room.
It was almost evening, and the sun shone through the window into the room through the curtains, forming a not-too-bright light curtain that just separated the two of them.
Xie Hanyi took another half step forward and carefully looked at the familiar face in front of him. Whether it was the wrinkles on the face or the gray in the hair, they were exactly the same as they were many years ago.
His eyes moved, and a hint of indescribable emotion flashed across his usually cold face: "Or... has he already fallen?"
This time, he was responded with a chuckle, but it didn't come from the person on the bed.
Following the source of the sound, Xie Hanyi turned around suddenly and met a pair of familiar eyes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
