Chapter 44. No need to save him, just drag him out and bury him...
"It's been three days, why hasn't he woken up yet? The bread I baked is almost dried out!"
"Is he dead?"
"If you say another word, take your pancakes and get out of here."
The first thing to awaken was her stiff body. Xu Cangyu moved slightly, and a tearing pain shot through her back. The dim candlelight and the sweet aroma of pastries vanished, leaving only pain and cold enveloping her entire body.
"Don't move."
A hand pressed down on his movement.
Xu Cangyu turned his face away, stunned. Looking at the two of them and then at the cardboard-like room around him, he almost thought he was possessed by a nightmare, until a dry, burnt pancake was brought to his mouth. "Want some?"
The pancake, which was as hard as a brick, made my mouth hurt, not to mention that one side of it was completely charred black, and it didn't look like something a human would eat.
But this prisoner is just right for him.
Xu Zangyu politely declined, saying, "I'm not hungry, thank you."
Zhou Hui tidied up a pile of medicine bottles and blood-stained bandages next to him, which looked like they had just been removed from his body.
"I told you no one would eat your food."
The person holding the flatbread looked disappointed. "Is it really that bad? My hands are all wrinkled up from making these flatbreads."
Xu Zangyu then noticed his hands, which were wrinkled abnormally, layer upon layer, with even twisted joints, like rotten paper.
"And who is this senior brother?"
He said excitedly, "I am Qin Zhang, the one who painted your face that day. It's a pity that my master won't allow me to paint your face again."
Xu Zangyu's face stiffened. The disciple who had no way of going was indeed not human. He wondered if the person next to him was even alive.
Just then, Zhou Hui suddenly pressed his wrist down, his two icy fingers pinching his pulse. "There aren't many survivors in Wumen. If you're scared to death, I can't save you."
Qin Zhang smiled and said, "Although I'm not alive, I'm not that scary. As for Senior Brother Zhou, he's practically alive, so don't worry, we won't harm anyone."
"Half, half a person?" Is this even considered a person?
Xu Zangyu couldn't even manage a fake smile.
Zhou withdrew his hand and said, "This is related to our sect's martial arts. Junior brother plans to take you as his disciple. You will know in the future."
It's better not to know—
Wen Qianchu wants to take him as a disciple?
Is he really that kind?
Qin Zhang: "That's great, I have another junior brother."
Zhou Hui hesitated for a moment, then dragged Qin Zhang, who was refusing to leave, out of the room, saying, "Don't disturb his rest."
Once outside, Qin Zhang smiled ingratiatingly, "Senior Brother Zhou, let me handle the dressing changes from now on. I quite like Junior Brother Xu."
A fierce look appeared on his pale face, and Zhou Hui said sarcastically, "You don't actually like him, you're just lusting after his yang energy."
After being exposed, Qin Zhang looked embarrassed, but there was still some eagerness in his eyes. Zhou Hui had to warn him: "If you mess around with someone Master has chosen, no one can save you."
"Does Master also crave his yang energy?" Qin Zhang asked, puzzled.
If he was just craving yang energy, that would be fine; at least he wouldn't have to risk his life. Zhou Hui didn't bother explaining to him and tossed him a handful of seeds, saying, "Plant your junior brother's herbs whenever you have time."
Qin Zhang always readily agreed to Xu Zangyu's request. He secretly thought that if he could heal Xu's injuries, he wouldn't hesitate to let him absorb some of Xu's abundant yang energy.
Xu Cangyu was a restless person. After lying in bed for a few days, the first thing he did when he was able to get out of bed was to throw away the damn fake flowers in the room and tear off the paper fake window to make a hole.
Light streamed into the room, and a cool breeze carried a fragrance; his room finally had a touch of life.
I don't know what kind of aesthetic sense people with nowhere to go have. The people are fake, even the decorations are fake, it's like living in a tomb.
In the snow-covered Four Corner Pavilion, a man plays chess against himself, holding black and white pieces. The game is deadlocked, and he has not yet found a solution to his black piece. His thoughts are interrupted by a piercing sound, and he finally throws the black piece into the chess cup.
Wen Qianchu turned her head at the sound: "What is he doing?"
Zhou Hui released a paper figure, which ran to Xu Zangyu's door and was almost crushed by a sawed-open wall. A window was forced open in the originally closed room, probably because Xu Zangyu found it too stuffy.
But this room was originally a prison cell, so there wouldn't be any windows.
Piles of paper flowers were thrown out, accompanied by disgusted grumbling: "What kind of decent family puts paper flowers at home? Is this for a grave? What kind of aesthetics is this!"
The details are too complex to explain in a few words.
Although the paper flowers are fake, they are all magical artifacts made by their master. They can survive evil spirits and devour malevolent ghosts. As long as Xu Zangyu does not leave the room, he will be absolutely safe.
Clearly, Xu Zangyu lacked the discerning eye to recognize talent.
After considering it for a moment, he said only, "He... pried open the wall and opened the window."
As for the fact that Master's prized work was thrown away as trash, let's skip over that.
He hoped Xu Cangyu could behave himself and stop courting death, otherwise his master might turn him into a paper doll and hang him on the wall.
Wen Qianchu merely frowned, showing little reaction, and resumed playing the game.
Before he could even place a piece, another chorus of exclamations erupted. Wen Qianchu finally lost his patience: "What did he do now?"
He threw down the chess piece in his hand, thinking, "Fine, this game can't be played today anyway."
As he stood up, his youngest apprentices rushed over in a panic: "Master, something terrible has happened! Junior Brother Xu has been poisoned! His breathing is weak; he's probably going to die again!"
Wen Qianchu frowned subconsciously: "In a place with no way out, how could he die for no reason?"
Fearing that the poison would affect Xu Zangyu's heart, the crowd dared not move him and quickly invited Wen Qianchu over. Wen Qianchu stared at the piece of black coal on the ground for a long time before he spoke uncertainly, "Xu Zangyu?"
The black coal lay flat on the ground, holding a bunch of pale blue flowers in his arms, muttering indistinctly, "Put these flowers in, put them in, put them in the vase in my room."
Wen Qianchu's face turned dark and then pale. Looking at his disciples with hearing problems, who had different expressions, he really didn't know who to reprimand: "If you can't speak, then don't talk nonsense."
It's no wonder he was interested in this medicinal flower; it glowed with a ghostly light at night, making it quite beautiful. While its roots were used in medicine, the flower itself was highly poisonous.
Zhou Hui rebuked Qin Zhang, who had taken on the job earlier, "Didn't you remind him that the flower is poisonous?"
Qin Zhang was extremely annoyed. "I thought Junior Brother Xu would have to stay in bed for a few more days, but who knew he would come out leaning on his crutches."
No one else is as troublesome as him.
Wen Qianchu took the flowers from his arms to prevent him from being poisoned, but they were snatched back as soon as she took them. "What are you doing?"
Wen Qianchu: "Are you poisoned? If you don't want to die, throw away the flowers."
“Nonsense,” Xu Zangyu suddenly jumped up. “I have plenty of strength now. I’ve dug up the whole mountain to find these few trees.”
"To be honest, it's really true that you have nowhere to go. Those fake flowers are not only ugly, but also have a gaudy and old-fashioned aesthetic. I guess older people are like that and like festive colors."
Elderly person Wen Qianchu: "..."
Zhou Hui was startled and said, "Junior Brother Xu has probably been poisoned and damaged his brain."
With a crisp sound, a cluster of spiritual fire emerged from Wen Qianchu's fingertips and flew into Xu Cangyu's arms, turning the bouquet of flowers to ashes in an instant.
"There's no need to save him, just bury him."
Zhou Hui: "...this"
Wen Qianchu's tone wasn't joking, and the other disciples were about to plead for them when they were silenced by Wen Qianchu's icy gaze. Only Xu Cangyu stared blankly at the empty space in his arms, like a fool.
Xu Zangyu was dragged to the back mountain, where several senior brothers dug a pit, not daring to look Xu Zangyu in the eye.
“Junior brother, we were only following Master’s orders and had no other choice. You’re just unlucky to have run into Master’s line of fire.”
The pit, wide enough for one person, was dug quickly. Before Qin Zhang could figure out how to coax him down, Xu Cangyu had already lay down in the pit himself: "I'm going to sleep. Everyone, please go back."
Qin Zhang looked pained. "How could you be so confused? Won't your brain break down if you don't get the detoxification?"
He nudged Xu Cangyu, who was almost asleep, and said, "Junior brother, just bear with it. Once Master's anger subsides, he might come to save you."
He and a few others pretended to shovel some dirt onto Xu Zangyu's body, but they didn't actually bury him alive.
The crescent moon hung like a hook, its silver light draped over the snow. The unfinished chess game was being rearranged in Wen Qianchu's hands. Zhou Hui came with a lantern, but it went out as soon as he stepped in. Just as he was about to relight it, he heard, "Don't disturb the chess pieces."
Those who cultivate have keen insight; even with the lights off, they are not completely blind, but the darkness is somewhat mentally taxing.
"I've never seen Master so engrossed before. Why is he so preoccupied with this game of chess today?"
Wen Qianchu placed another piece, "Now is the perfect time to make a move."
Zhou Hui didn't come here to discuss the game of chess. Xu Zangyu's injuries haven't fully recovered, and he's still buried in the pit. Does Master really not care?
"May--"
"Silence, the piece has moved."
Wen Qianchu wasn't looking at the chessboard, but rather—
The back mountain.
In this desolate place, on this desolate mountain, even the crows perched in the treetops seemed to be cawing ominously.
Xu Zangyu brushed the dirt off his body and climbed out of the pit. Several loud crows on the branches scattered in alarm, their cries mournful.
"What kind of place is this? Is this still the mortal realm?"
After swallowing an antidote pill, the dark color on his face immediately faded, and the tightness in his chest from the poisoning completely disappeared.
"You old scoundrel, with your coffin-like face, you really have ulterior motives and a vicious heart. Who wants to stay in this lousy place?"
After saying that, he sneezed and felt a chill all over his body.
Buried in the pit for so long, it almost froze into an icicle.
Rubbing his palms together, Xu Cangyu looked up at the moon in the sky, determined the direction, and ran outside.
After running for a while, he somehow ended up back at the starting point, as if he were in a maze. However, he didn't believe in ghosts and quickly realized that there must be a formation here.
The Fearless Sword parted a stone, and the space in front of him was like a canvas torn in the middle. The smile that had just appeared on Xu Cangyu's lips froze when he saw the figure behind the canvas.
"Master Wen, you're still up so late?" he said with an awkward smile.
"Old scoundrel? Coffin face?"
Oh no.
Wen Qianchu's voice was colder than the winter wind blowing on him. Xu Cangyu forced himself to lie and said, "Wen, Sect Leader, did you hear me wrong? I was cursing my master."
Regardless of whether Wen Qianchu believed him or not, he pleaded with a mournful face, "Sect Leader Wen, I am not talented enough and dull-witted. I really cannot be your disciple."
“I know your qualifications, but I never doubt my own judgment.”
Xu Zangyu was surprised that someone would say such a thing and affirm him so much, but at the moment Xu Zangyu did not know whether to laugh or cry.
“I will not keep a useless person who has no way out. If you really do not want to become my disciple,” he looked at the pit on the ground, “I can bury you and then collect your soul. It will not be a waste.”
What wicked remarks!
Xu Zangyu immediately knelt down: "Master, please accept my bow."
Wen Qianchu helped him up with one hand, her smile full of control, "You really are a good child. Your master will be counting on you to take good care of him in the future."
Xu Zangyu gritted his teeth, "I will do my best as your disciple."
As soon as she finished speaking, Wen Qianchu pulled her into his arms. Before Xu Cangyu could recover from the sudden turn of events, Wen Qianchu suddenly lowered his head. Xu Cangyu wanted to avoid it, but her body stiffened and she couldn't move.
Wen Qianchu took a breath in front of him, and Xu Cangyu felt as if his soul was almost sucked away. After the restriction on his body disappeared, his body went limp, and he only managed to stay upright by relying on Wen Qianchu to support his waist.
What made his scalp tingle even more was that Wen Qianchu's pale face actually showed a bit of vitality, as if she had eaten some kind of nourishing food.
"With a pure Yang body, you dare to swagger around in front of your senior brother? If you don't want to be completely devoured and hung on the wall early, don't be as defenseless as you were just now."
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