Chapter 113 Junior Sister Switches to the Path of Ruthlessness 24 Bai Qi
After going through eighty-one complicated procedures, Yun Chiyi finally met the head of the Jiuqing Sect.
Jiuqing sat on the lotus platform with his eyes closed. Several moments passed since someone came in, but he did not open his eyes.
Like Wu Si, he had a long, snow-white beard that reached his chest, but Wu Si was unpretentious and more pleasing to the eye than him.
When Yun Chiyi revealed the purpose of his trip, Jiu Qing did not show any surprise like the elders of Qingming; he didn't even blink.
"Bai Qi."
Upon hearing this, Bai Qi took two steps forward: "What are your orders, Sect Leader?"
Jiuqing raised his withered finger and waved it: "Let's take these two distinguished guests down to rest first."
With countless doubts swirling in her mind, Yun Chiyi could only suppress them all. She had only come to deliver a message, and now that Jiu Qing hadn't directly sent her down the mountain, perhaps he had other intentions.
Yun Chiyi bowed, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lin Yuwan silently observing Jiu Qing. She reached out and tugged at his sleeve, and he looked at her before following her away.
She wanted to ask him what he was looking at, but Bai Qi was beside her, so she didn't say anything.
Bai Qi walked slowly ahead. The Nine Immortals Gate was shrouded in an ethereal aura, as if a thin mist was spreading everywhere, making it impossible to see the shapes of the buildings with the naked eye.
Strangely, despite the vastness of the Nine Immortals Sect, they encountered no other disciples.
Walking all the way to the backyard, Bai Qi stopped with a smile, turning slightly to the side of a room: "I'll trouble Fellow Daoist Yun to stay here tonight. Fellow Daoist Lin's accommodation is elsewhere."
Yun Chiyi and Lin Yuwan exchanged a glance, realizing they were going to separate the two and arrange for them to sit on opposite sides.
She said softly, "When I was in the sect, I often heard my senior brothers say that blue-tailed cranes often dance on the waves behind the Nine Immortals Sect. It's still early, I wonder if Senior Brother Baiqi could take us to see it?"
Bai Qi smiled and nodded: "It was my oversight."
He led the way, his voice gentle as he continued, "If Fellow Daoist Yun is interested in flower tea, after we have seen the cranes, I will take you both to have some tea."
After a pause, he unusually struck up a conversation with Lin Yuwan: "Not only flower tea, but also Fuxue Maojian tea."
Lin Yuwan replied with a half-smile, "No need to trouble yourself, I'll drink whatever tea Senior Sister Yun drinks."
In front of outsiders, he restrained himself and did not directly call her "Senior Sister".
Yun Chi wanted to take the opportunity to observe the environment of the Nine Immortals Sect. After seeing the blue-tailed cranes, she only glanced at them briefly. The fog was so thick that she couldn't tell whether there were two or three.
The flower tea we drank near dusk was quite interesting. It was slightly bitter at first, but then slowly turned sweet. Bai Qi was an expert in tea ceremony, and the tea he brewed was completely different from the tea that Lin Yuwan casually scalded with hot water.
Yun Chiyi drank another cup. Lin Yuwan sat opposite her, looking at her lazily, slowly swirling the teacup in her hand.
"like?"
Yun Chiyi's eyelids twitched, and she replied, "It's alright."
The two looked at Bai Qi in the inner room, wanting to talk about something else, but afraid that he would hear them.
When Bai Qi brought out the other flower teas, Yun Chiyi brought up the matter of the Star-Treading Banquet with a sense of apology.
"Senior Brother Bai Qi, is Junior Brother Bai Ming's injury fully recovered? We came together this time to apologize to him in person."
Lin Yuwan chimed in, "It's all my fault for being too impulsive. I was blinded by my competitive spirit at the time."
Yun Chiyi glanced sideways, inwardly grumbling. Lying requires appearing sincere; it's absolutely unacceptable to read it aloud like Lin Yuwan.
"After he returned from the Star-Treading Banquet, the sect leader punished him by confining him for a year, and he is not allowed to see anyone easily. However, I can take you to see him tomorrow. He was in the wrong first, and he should be the one to admit his mistake."
Bai Qi placed various flower teas on the table and brewed a pot of each one without rushing.
When Yun Chiyi first tasted the flower tea, she found it to be sweet and refreshing. However, after drinking several cups, the taste seemed to be the same. Gradually, she lost interest and listened to Bai Qi talk about the strange and wonderful stories of the Nine Immortals Sect while holding her teacup.
Bai Qi told the story in a gentle voice, captivating the audience with his eloquent and engaging narration. Yun Chiyi smiled faintly, seemingly listening attentively, but actually lost in thought for quite a while.
As the mist outside the teahouse turned a pale blue and the sky darkened, Bai Qi knew he shouldn't disturb them any longer. He tidied up the teahouse and escorted the two to their rooms to rest.
Yun Chiyi arrived at the room first. She closed the door, turned on the light, and the room was dimly lit, as if it were covered by a light veil.
She bet that Lin Yuwan would come to find her within an hour.
The candle had burned down to half its flame, and she sat quietly alone in the room. Yun Chiyi, bored, covered her face and yawned.
She suddenly realized something was wrong; she hadn't felt this sleepy in a long time.
Yun Chiyi sat down next to the bed, letting the system keep an eye on her, while she recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra.
Not long after she closed her eyes, she inexplicably thought of the blue wildflowers in Chengming, and then of the kite perched on the branch...
By the time she realized she wasn't reminiscing but dreaming, she had already fallen asleep uncontrollably.
She was exhausted from climbing the ladder during the day, and slept soundly for a long time.
[Danger Warning!]
[Forcibly awakening consciousness...]
Hearing the system's voice, she still retained a sliver of consciousness. A pair of familiar hands hooked around her legs and lifted her from the bed. She opened her eyes a crack and saw only white. She vaguely realized that she had been carried outside.
If this isn't Lin Yuwan, then who is it...?
She tried to draw her sword by channeling her inner energy, but now only her eyes could move; the rest of her body seemed to be locked up.
Suddenly, the long-lost sound of bells rang out in the quiet night. Yun Chiyi got goosebumps all over her body. Soon, her heart clenched as the Gu worm slowly awakened and turned over in her heart meridian.
Yun Chiyi's forehead was covered in cold sweat. She reached out to push away the hand that was holding her, but she had no strength in her hand. Instead, it was as if she was tightly gripping his clothes.
Why are you awake again?
The gentle words had barely faded when a voice filled with suppressed anger pierced through the fog and crashed into their ears.
"Put her down! If you dare to take her away, I will tear you to pieces."
Lin Yuwan staggered against the thick fog, the mist outlining his slightly upturned figure. The fog, like thick spider silk, blocked his way forward. He swayed as he carried his long sword, each step extremely difficult.
The air was thick with the stench of blood. Yun Chiyi lowered his eyes and saw Lin Yuwan's arm, which was dripping blood. His eyes were bloodshot. He first looked into Yun Chiyi's eyes to make sure she was safe and sound before his anger subsided a little.
He was breathing heavily, and his longsword was dragged along, sparking intensely as it flew like a shooting star in the thick fog.
"Lin Yuwan, why are you awake too?"
Bai Qi's voice was devoid of emotion: "Don't struggle. The more you move, the faster the toxins in your body will invade your lungs. I don't want to kill you."
Lin Yuwan chuckled softly, his palm gripping the blade directly, slashing it without a care, dark red blood dripping onto his toes.
"So what if I die? Before I die, I'll make sure you die here first."
A blood-red array gradually formed beneath his feet. Seeing that something was wrong, Bai Qi lightly touched the ground with his toes and flew to the roof with Yun Chiyi in his arms.
Lin Yuwan looked up, blood seeping from the corners of his eyes. He waved his hand and threw the blood array on the ground into the night sky. The massive array enveloped the entire Nine Immortals Sect, and under the eerie blood light, even the mist turned into a blood-red veil.
Meanwhile, fresh blood continued to flow from the bleeding spots on Lin Yuwan's body, connecting with the magic array.
Bai Qi was horrified: "I never imagined you would practice evil arts!"
In the night sky, a hideous black giant face struggled to emerge from the formation, instantly splitting into countless faces, all of which swelled and grew larger in a flash.
Bai Qi looked up in astonishment. Yun Chiyi seized the opportunity and slapped Bai Qi in the chest. The latter staggered back two steps, and Yun Chiyi fell from his arms.
Bai Qi clutched his chest with one hand, and a cold light flashed in his right palm. A bell spun out and flew into Yun Chiyi's body. The bloody wind swirled around her long hair, but she remained calm. The next moment, she landed steadily in his rusty embrace.
Lin Yuwan murmured softly, as if she had rediscovered a priceless treasure: "Senior Sister... Senior Sister..."
"What was that that just entered your body?" He then raised his crimson eyes and looked at the figure on the roof like a demon from the abyss.
Yun Chiyi reached out and hooked her arm around Lin Yuwan's neck, but her gaze was also fixed on the sky. She saw a series of giant faces with gaping maws rushing down from the sky, roaring like wild beasts as they tried to tear at Bai Qi.
Bai Qi barely dodged, but a large hole was immediately bitten through the white shirt on his shoulder.
As she watched his evasive figure slowly overlap with the silhouette deep in her memory, Lin Yuwan hugged Yun Chiyi even tighter. Blood dripped from her chin onto Yun Chiyi's chest, and her eyes turned ashen due to the physical pain and the blockage in her memory.
Lin Yuwan's eyes suddenly narrowed, as if she had just remembered something.
A clear and explicit statement!
"It's you. You're still alive."
Along with his voice came a series of pleasant bell sounds. Yun Chiyi was still in shock, her heart pounding as if it wanted to break free from her body's restraints. She groaned, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
The sound of bells also rang out from Yun Chiyi's body, muffled and seemingly fused with her flesh and blood.
She felt Lin Yuwan's arms tighten, pulling her even closer: "Senior Sister?"
He channeled his spiritual power, attempting to force his way into her body to retrieve the bell, but Yun Chiyi's spiritual power clashed with his, resulting in a stalemate.
Yun Chiyi spoke weakly, trying to stop him: "This is the Shadow-Chasing Bell recorded in the Chengming Library... It's a magical artifact used for tracking. As long as I don't circulate my qi, I'll be fine. He doesn't want to take my life."
After listening, Lin Yuwan coldly raised her eyes, her only thought now being to kill Bai Qi right here.
Lin Yuwan couldn't free himself from Yun Chiyi's embrace, but he refused to let go. Yun Chiyi had no choice but to tighten her grip on his wrist and break free to stand on the ground. Her head was throbbing, and all her strength seemed to have been drained. She still leaned tightly against his chest, quietly listening to his rapid heartbeat.
She closed her eyes and transmitted her voice: "Bai Qi's survival must be related to the Fallen Immortal. The Nine Immortals Sect is now under control, but Bai Qi is the only one here. Something is amiss. We must finish this quickly and not linger."
She paused, then struggled to speak, "Be careful..."
Bai Qi, or rather Bai Qi, only controlled the mother Gu and abandoned the child Gu, which is equivalent to not caring about Lin Yuwan's life or death. Yun Chiyi once firmly believed that Lin Yuwan would not die for the time being before the plot was completed, but at this moment she couldn't help but start to question the system and her own judgment.
Lin Yuwan touched her sweat-drenched forehead with his blood-covered hand, then quickly flicked his palm out, the blood droplets flying from his hand and transforming into countless identical black longswords.
The sword formation of the Nine Immortals Sect was worlds apart from his. Lin Yuwan's cultivation technique was filled with murderous aura. When his long sword was drawn, all the ghosts wailed. Yun Chiyi couldn't help but bury her face in his chest.
Bai Qi was already surrounded by evil spirits and couldn't dodge in time. He was then trapped in a sword formation. His mask was pierced by the sword energy, revealing a burned face. Only his eyes were still intact.
He was injured in many places and looked extremely disheveled, but he remained calm and composed as he took out the bell in his hand.
"Junior Sister, Junior Brother, let's settle this old matter today."
A fallen immortal descended upon the Nine Immortals Gate. Dark clouds swirled and a torrential rain began to fall. The sky seemed to have been torn apart, and the Nine Immortals Gate seemed to be drowning in the sea.
But Yun Chiyi and Lin Yuwan were nowhere to be seen outside the sword formation...
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