Chapter 8
Looking at Lin Jichen, who had been reading beside her, Gu Qingci felt she was causing her trouble and also felt she had let down the people of Yunzhou. If it weren't for protecting herself, she should be investigating Fang Xiashen's matter with her fellow disciples right now.
After Gu Qingci broke two cups in succession, Lin Jichen finally looked up at the uneasy and guilty person. She asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Gu Qingci no longer dared to look up at Lin Jichen; she lowered her head and remained silent.
Lin Jichen thought that Gu Qingci was by her side, and the Li family wouldn't be able to treat her like this, so she guessed and asked, "Who bullied you?"
Gu Qingci quickly shook her head and said, "No, no one bullied me."
"You seem distracted; it's not like nothing's wrong."
Gu Qingci bit her lip and spoke after a long while: "I just feel like I'm causing you trouble."
Trouble? Lin Jichen asked, "What trouble? You're just a mortal, you can't cause me any trouble. Don't overthink it. After things are settled here, I'll take you back to the capital."
Seeing Lin Jichen's relaxed expression, Gu Qingci didn't continue the topic. She looked at the busy people outside and asked, "Do you all have the same master?"
Among the people outside were Mingmo and Zhou Xuanzhi. "No, you probably already know Zhou Xuanzhi's master, who is our junior uncle, Master Yuzhen, Shi Wanqing. Senior Sister Mingmo's master is the sect leader's master, and she is also one of the future sect leader candidates. As for me, my master is the peak master of Nanyu Peak, Mu Jin."
“You two seem to know each other very well, not like you say.” Lin Jichen and Shi Yunzhou were arguing as if they were very familiar with each other.
Upon hearing the name Shi Yunzhou, Lin Jichen smiled and shook his head. "We simply have incompatible personalities. As for why we are so familiar with each other, it's probably because we disciples from all the peaks of Tianyu Mountain have the same courses, so we naturally get to know each other better."
“But the cultivation paths of each peak master are truly different. I am a music cultivator, and you saw that Senior Sister Mingmo carrying that giant sword on her back; she is a sword cultivator. As for Zhou Xuanzhi and Shi Yunzhou, they follow Junior Uncle to cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness.”
At this point, she whispered in Gu Qingci's ear, "My junior uncle is hailed as the number one person in the Path of Ruthlessness." Lin Jichen gave a thumbs up in praise, "You should know that many people who cultivate the Path of Ruthlessness end up with their Dao hearts shattered. Over the years, only my junior uncle and one grandmaster have succeeded."
Although not a cultivator, Gu Qingci had heard of the infamous Path of Ruthlessness. In storybooks and tales told by storytellers, those who cultivated the Path of Ruthlessness ultimately became entangled in emotions and unable to extricate themselves. The Path of Ruthlessness was arguably the most difficult path to cultivate among all immortal sects, bar none.
Capturing demons is no easy task; for example, finding their hiding place is extremely difficult. Usually, people would try to lure the demon out, but this demon isn't stupid; seeing so many cultivators, it won't easily come out. This is where the patience of both the demon and the cultivators is tested.
As everyone rejected one plan after another, Shi Yunzhou suddenly felt that these people were still as hypocritical as ever. He said impatiently, "It's simple, use bait."
Mingmo naturally knew who the bait was, and she did not support this approach. She resolutely said, "We cannot guarantee Young Master Li's absolute safety, nor will he cooperate with us." She could not make this decision, even if this Young Master Li was a heinous criminal.
“It doesn’t necessarily require Young Master Li to cooperate on his own. With a little manipulation, this Young Master Li will be ‘very’ cooperative,” Shi Yunzhou said, ignoring Zhou Xuanzhi’s objections.
The Ming dynasty vehemently rejected this, stating, "Young Master Li is just an ordinary man."
Ignoring the warnings, Shi Yunzhou continued, "We just need to say that a courtesan has arrived in Yunzhou City, and this young master Li will offer himself up."
“No,” Mingmo rebuked, “A gentleman has things he will do and things he will not do; we cannot do such a thing.”
"Then there's nothing we can do but remain in this stalemate." Shi Yunzhou was no longer considered a disciple of Tianyu Mountain, and he wasn't afraid of Ming Mo's reprimand. He walked over to Zhou Xuanzhi's side, saw his senior brother's reproachful gaze, and indifferently spread his hands.
Because of the argument between Shi Yunzhou and Ming Mo, no one present spoke, for fear of getting caught in the crossfire.
"Well, there are still many things about this Miss Gu that haven't been resolved!" Lin Jichen said, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere when everyone was silent.
Lin Jichen admitted that her senior sister Mingmo was indeed very good at disciplining everyone. For example, using Young Master Li as bait was a very outrageous thing to do, not something a cultivator should do. If it weren't for Mingmo keeping an eye on things, she would have been more than happy for Fang Xiashen to succeed in his revenge and for that scum to die.
"Or, after things are over here, I can send Miss Gu back to the capital?" Besides, the Immortal Alliance Conference is to be held in the capital, so I'll have an excuse to stay there.
Mingmo then turned her attention to Lin Jichen. After thinking for a moment, she nodded and said, "Alright, I'll have to trouble you to continue taking care of Miss Gu during this time."
"Don't worry, Senior Sister," Lin Jichen replied with a smile.
After the atmosphere eased slightly, Zhou Xuanzhi also stood up and said, "We've made some progress these past few days. Fang Xiashen... can't be kept around. It's easy to track her down." These words reminded the people present of their mission.
The situation eased up towards the end of the Ming Dynasty. Shi Yunzhou, standing to the side, was somewhat disappointed. He hadn't expected Lin Jichen to step in and ease the tension. How could this man have changed so much in two hundred years?
“She’s not seeking revenge anymore; the dead are no longer her enemies. Even if we’re not guarding Young Master Li, there are still many of Fang Xiashen’s prey on the streets. Guarding them is also protecting their safety, isn’t it?” Mingmo said this to Shi Yunzhou, intending to warn him against unnecessary conflict.
Shi Yunzhou was a good man, but he acted impulsively, and he had some past grievances with Lin Jichen. This made Ming Mo uneasy.
"But how did Fang Xia Shen get out?" Lin Jichen didn't quite understand. There was a ten-direction barrier between the demon realm and the human realm, making it almost impossible for the demons to get out.
"She might not necessarily be imprisoned in the Demon Realm. Let's deal with the immediate issues one by one!" Shi Yunzhou is no longer a member of Tianyu Mountain, but he was taught by Ming Mo before, and there is always an unknown force that makes him afraid to resist.
"Is Junior Sister interested?" He had only promised Mingmo that he wouldn't cause any more trouble, but he had to argue with Lin Jichen and make her angry. Mingmo couldn't just let that happen!
"Not interested." Lin Jichen refused without even thinking.
Shi Yunzhou stood up and asked, "I haven't even said anything yet, why did you refuse, Senior Sister? This role of the courtesan..."
Before Shi Yunzhou could finish speaking, Lin Jichen turned and left, ignoring Shi Yunzhou.
"Why do you always pick on Junior Sister Lin?" Zhou Xuanzhi looked at his junior brother, completely puzzled.
“My aura and hers are naturally incompatible, so you don’t need to worry about it, senior brother.”
"Then you shouldn't keep provoking her."
Upon hearing Zhou Xuanzhi's words, Shi Yunzhou deliberately acted aggrieved, "How did I provoke her? Besides, you are my senior brother, why do you always side with her?"
"..."
"She's still my senior, and she didn't go easy on me either."
"..."
"Besides, I'm retaliating, not starting trouble."
"..." He should have realized sooner that those two were not to be trifled with. Zhou Xuanzhi remained silent, got up, and left. He needed to find a way to separate the two of them; they couldn't always be together, or things would easily go wrong.
The disciples of Tianyu Mountain present shook their heads and sighed inwardly at the sight. These two really held a grudge; even after two hundred years, they were still plotting against each other.
Zhou Xuanzhi came to Lin Jichen to apologize on behalf of his junior brother. Just as they were talking outside the door, that young master Li entered Gu Qingci's room.
Upon hearing Gu Qingci's angry and terrified voice coming from inside, Lin Jichen immediately returned to his room. Zhou Xuanzhi followed him in and saw that Gu Qingci was already being protected by Lin Jichen, while the young master Li was still cursing.
"You eat my food and drink my water, and you can't even ask for a little reward? You're quite the pampered one, aren't you?" He stepped back, still talking.
"Who are you showing off your preciousness to? Name your price..." He bumped into Zhou Xuanzhi, who had just entered, as he backed up to the door. Looking at Zhou Xuanzhi and then at Lin Jichen inside, he smiled maliciously, "I knew it... so she's a domesticated one. You're still protecting a piece of trash that everyone else has trampled on."
"Young Master Li, be careful with your words." Zhou Xuan had only been down the mountain a few times, and the people he encountered there were all very respectful to him. This was the first time he had heard such words, and he found them extremely grating.
"You can do it, but you won't let me say anything?"
Gu Qingci had never heard such words before, and after what had just happened, she was so angry that she was trembling.
Seeing Gu Qingci's anger, Lin Jichen waited for her to retaliate, wanting to see how a county princess from the capital would deal with such a lecherous man. But after waiting for a long time, nothing came of it. She turned and saw Gu Qingci's eyes wide with rage, panting heavily; she was clearly furious. It seemed she would have to intervene herself.
She suddenly appeared in front of this young master Li, grabbed his neck, and lifted him into the air on her sword. In mid-air, this young master Li had nowhere to put his feet and kept kicking wildly. His hands were tightly gripping Lin Jichen's wrist, and he started struggling after just one glance down.
And since the only point of leverage on his body is his neck, which is being choked, struggling now will cause him to fall and die, while not struggling will result in him being strangled to death. It's really difficult.
"I advise you not to move now. I'm a weak woman. If I lose my grip, you'll fall and die." When she said this, the smile on her face was even more terrifying than the female demon from that day.
Lin Jichen's actions naturally attracted the attention of others, such as Shi Yunzhou, who had originally planned to go out to gather information. However, before leaving, he wanted to see Lin Jichen again, but unexpectedly, he saw Lin Jichen grabbing Young Master Li by the neck and lifting him into the air. It must be said, Young Master Li's kicking motions were quite a sight to behold.
"Why are you here?" Zhou Xuanzhi felt a headache coming on when he saw Shi Yunzhou slowly approaching and thought about the conflict between the two.
"Let me see, but what's going on?" He pointed at the two people in the sky and laughed, "Did you offend her?"
Zhou Xuanzhi really didn't know how to say it, so he just said, "This young master Li is very arrogant."
Looking at the man still kicking, Shi Yunzhou shook his head: "The fact that you didn't stop her means that this Young Master Li is really going too far." He patted Zhou Xuanzhi's chest and pointed to the man struggling in mid-air, saying: "This is his home. We were invited to protect him."
Zhou Xuanzhi reluctantly got up and flew to Lin Jichen's side. Looking at the man who was barely clinging to life, he said nothing.
Lin Jichen naturally knew what this meant. He changed from choking him to pulling his collar, bringing him back to the ground. Once on flat ground again, Young Master Li gasped for breath of fresh air. It was only now that Young Master Li realized how true the phrase "keeping your feet on the ground" really was.
When he calmed down, he was furious, but he couldn't beat the person in front of him, and he couldn't let his father know what he had just done, so he threatened, "You all just wait and see."
"Wait for you to get revenge?" Shi Yunzhou found the person in front of him laughable.
"Hmph." Young Master Li only let out this one hum.
Lin Jichen ignored Shi Yunzhou and went straight to Gu Qingci's room.
Watching Lin Jichen's retreating figure, Shi Yunzhou said, "I didn't offend her."
...
"I didn't say a word." Seeing the distrust in his senior brother's eyes, Shi Yunzhou changed the subject: "Never mind, let's go out and see what's going on!"
On the street, the two walked side by side. Shi Yunzhou asked, "Senior brother, what are you doing in Gu Qingci's room?"
Looking at his junior brother, Zhou Xuanzhi sometimes wondered if the person in front of him had been possessed. But it was indeed his true nature.
"I have something to say to Junior Sister Lin. I don't know how that Young Master Li got into the room."
"They really are highly skilled and daring."
Looking at the people coming and going on the street, everyone seemed unaware that there was a female demon, and that arrogant young master Li, was this the human world that Master was supposed to protect? But some of these people were not worth Master sacrificing his life for!
"You want me to come out with you, but you don't say anything?" Zhou Xuanzhi saw his junior brother's fierce expression and wondered what he was thinking. So, in order to divert his attention, he asked.
"...Fang Xiashen recognizes us, so it's impossible to just wait around. At least half the men in Yunzhou City frequent brothels; we can't possibly protect everyone," Shi Yunzhou analyzed.
"What do you want to do?" Zhou Xuanzhi knew this.
Shi Yunzhou stopped and looked at the brothel not far away, saying, "The key still lies with that young master Li. We must use him as bait, and in the meantime, find someone to ensure his safety."
Zhou Xuanzhi looked at Shi Yunzhou, and he knew that this was indeed a simple and effective method. Fang Xiashen was a demon who had cultivated for a thousand years; even if they joined forces, they would find it difficult to defeat him.
“Senior Sister Ming wouldn’t… You want him to come out on his own? He’s learned how terrifying Fang Xiashen is these days, so it’s unlikely he’ll come out now.” Zhou Xuanzhi had just finished speaking when he seemed to realize something. He looked at the place not far away, “But, it’s not impossible to find his weakness.”
"This makes things easier, and Senior Sister Ming won't have the nerve to say anything. Gu Qingci probably won't swallow this insult easily either. By the time she returns to the capital, the Li family will be gone from Yunzhou City." Thinking of Gu Qingci's identity, Shi Yunzhou silently mourned for this family in advance.
Gu Qingci is a county princess, and her father is also a high-ranking official. This matter cannot be resolved simply by saying it's a misunderstanding.
Shi Yunzhou was backlit, making it impossible to see his expression, yet the light emanated from him. Zhou Xuanzhi stared at his junior brother in this state for a moment, then quickly recovered.
That's good.
It had been a long time since Shi Yunzhou had visited Yunzhou City. Looking around, everything seemed unfamiliar. Two hundred years ago, everything here was different.
At that time, I was in a quagmire where I couldn't see the light, when suddenly a beam of light illuminated my surroundings.
From that day on, his fate changed. He became a disciple of a high-ranking immortal sect, a disciple of Shi Wanqing, no longer a beggar on the roadside to be bullied by everyone.
He has a senior brother and a master.
But would Master be angry if he saw himself now? If he falls back into darkness, would Master regret his choice back then?
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