18 Almost slipped away

Just like in his previous life, as soon as Ji Guanqi entered Luo Town, he saw that every household had hung white banners. A gust of wind blew, causing the paper white lanterns at the doorways to sway before falling, casting a somber atmosphere.

“There’s a strong stench of blood,” Xiao Tangqing said after surveying the surroundings. Then he walked over and added, “Almost no one in this town is left alive. Judging by this, the villagers have been dead for quite some time. I wonder if the heretical cultivators are still here.”

“If they’re not here, then they must have fled to a neighboring town, or…” Ji Guanqi hesitated for a moment, exchanged a glance with Xiao Tangqing, and they both said in unison, “Chunshui City.”

In fact, in his previous life, this group of heretical cultivators had also been lurking in nearby towns, only to be eventually wiped out by Ji Guanqi and his men.

Back then, he was capable of leading the purge alone; now, with more people stationed here, these heretics would hardly pose any trouble.

However, Ji Guanqi had volunteered to investigate not because of these matters.

“Search once more. There might still be survivors,” Ji Guanqi said as he took a few steps forward. “You take the left, I’ll take the right. We’ll regroup here in one hour.”

Now that he had already shaken off Wu Xingbai, his next task was to lose Xiao Tangqing. One hour was enough for him to fly far on his sword, then hide his identity for a while. Surely, Wu Xingbai and the others wouldn’t continue searching for him.

Perhaps, by leaving the Xuanyuan Sect, he was actually fulfilling everyone's wishes.

Ji Guanqi’s plan was well thought out and practical, but the problem was Xiao Tangqing wasn’t cooperating. He stubbornly followed right behind Ji Guanqi, causing Ji Guanqi to sigh helplessly.

“Second junior brother,” Ji Guanqi said.

“Senior brother, there are too many suspicious points here. It’s not suitable to act alone,” Xiao Tangqing said, looking at the figure before him. Although he appeared unchanged, Xiao Tangqing felt as if this person had become someone else.

He used to be most annoyed by Ji Guanqi’s nagging and resented how he always interfered with him. But now, he suddenly realized that he hadn’t heard Ji Guanqi’s admonishments for a long time.

In the past, whenever they encountered heretical cultivators, Ji Guanqi would always say, “Evil cannot triumph over righteousness. The path of cultivation forbids seeking quick success and instant benefits. You have great talent, junior brother; given time, you will surely reach the peak.”

Xiao Tangqing knew those were mere excuses. In truth, Ji Guanqi always saw through his intentions whenever he tried to experiment with heretical cultivation methods.

“This place isn’t large, but searching bit by bit will waste a lot of time,” Ji Guanqi decisively rejected Xiao Tangqing’s request to accompany him and sternly said, “The more time we waste now, the greater the danger for any survivors.”

Xiao Tangqing paused, about to speak, but Ji Guanqi quickly added, “Trust me. After one hour, whether we find others or not, gather here.”

With matters laid out so plainly, Xiao Tangqing could only agree.

“Senior brother, if this were before, you wouldn’t let me act alone,” Xiao Tangqing suddenly said. “You always feared I wouldn’t resist temptation and might be drawn to these crooked cultivation methods.”

His words caught Ji Guanqi off guard as he was just about to head east. He paused slightly, then said, “I can only watch over you for a while; I cannot watch you forever. If a person can hold fast to their true heart, supervision isn’t necessary. If they cannot, then even watching day and night is useless. You are a smart person and naturally know the right path of cultivation. I believe in you.”

Without waiting for Xiao Tangqing’s response, Ji Guanqi continued forward, and before long, his figure disappeared from sight.

“Believe in me?” Xiao Tangqing looked down at his spatial pouch where a scroll containing a heretical cultivation method lay.

Did he truly believe him, or was he simply tired of dealing with him? Xiao Tangqing’s heart jolted as if missing a beat. He had long hoped that Ji Guanqi would trust him and stop interfering, but if one day he really stopped caring, Xiao Tangqing himself wouldn’t be able to adjust.

“It’s too late,” Xiao Tangqing murmured, clutching his pouch tightly. “The path of cultivation depends on cultivation itself, not the process. Senior brother, you should have watched me more closely.”

It was rare for him to say such words, and when he did, even he was momentarily stunned. Then, as if to hide it, he quickly headed west.

He had to find a heretical cultivator soon, to test the supreme method he had just acquired.

“The supreme method absorbs others’ cultivation for oneself, enabling rapid progress like lightning. But it breeds countless inner demons, making one prone to calamity and reckless slaughter,” Ji Guanqi thought as he walked, recalling the method Xiao Tangqing had practiced in his previous life. But that was Xiao Tangqing’s business; he neither cared nor wanted to.

Could Ji Guanqi, who had watched over Xiao Tangqing last time, really stop him with just a word? He didn’t think so.

“One hour…” Ji Guanqi glanced around to confirm that Xiao Tangqing had indeed gone far, then immediately quickened his pace in the opposite direction.

Unexpectedly, just as he stepped out of the village, he sensed something amiss.

At some unknown moment, a mountain mist had risen around him, growing thicker until it was nearly impossible to see. Ji Guanqi tried to soar higher on his sword, but the mist seemed to suppress spiritual power. After a couple of attempts, he couldn’t get his already sluggish spiritual energy to flow.

“What’s going on?” Ji Guanqi’s expression changed. There had been no such mist in his previous life.

He swiftly drew his sword and cautiously walked in one direction. After what seemed like a long time, he suddenly stopped, staring at a tree stump at his feet.

He had noticed this stump when he first arrived. Now seeing it again, a thought rose in his mind—

He might have been walking in circles all along.

At that moment, a muffled groan came from the mist. The sound was somewhat familiar. Ji Guanqi took two seconds to identify the person, intending to turn and leave, but the person suddenly burst through the mist and collided into Ji Guanqi’s arms, almost causing him to stagger and fall.

“Xiao Tangqing.” Ji Guanqi reached out to steady him, noticing blood at the corner of his mouth and his injured appearance. His brows knitted tightly; this form was painfully familiar.

“What did you do?” Ji Guanqi demanded angrily. “What have you done just now?”

Xiao Tangqing was unable to respond; he seemed unsteady on his feet and simply hung on Ji Guanqi, gasping heavily, “Unwell…”

From the moment spiritual power entered Xiao Tangqing’s meridians, Ji Guanqi was certain he had practiced a heretical cultivation method.

In his previous life, Xiao Tangqing had also picked up heretical methods and integrated several into his cultivation, nearly succumbing to calamity. This was exactly that state.

Meridians were chaotic, spiritual energy erratic—this familiar sensation filled Ji Guanqi with fury. He withdrew his own spiritual power and gritted his teeth, “Xiao Tangqing, let go!”

Last time, Ji Guanqi had spent much spiritual power to pull Xiao Tangqing back from the brink of calamity. Yet Xiao Tangqing had scorned him as meddlesome and treated him coldly, despite the life-saving favor, coldly saying, “Mind your own affairs and don’t block my path of cultivation.”

So this time, Ji Guanqi had no intention of interfering with this ungrateful person again.

“Unwell.” Xiao Tangqing, pushed aside, leaned against a tree and sat down. He tilted his head slightly, looking toward the source of the voice, his mind in chaos, feeling the figure ahead was somewhat familiar.

He could hear nothing clearly and squinted at Ji Guanqi’s back as he walked away.

“It’s you…” Xiao Tangqing whispered hoarsely. “Don’t go, don’t go…”

Ji Guanqi’s figure stiffened momentarily but resolutely strode in the opposite direction. He swung his sword backhandedly; the Gentleman’s Sword erupted with thunderous power, forcibly dispersing the mist.

Sheathing his sword, he glanced sideways at the unconscious Xiao Tangqing leaning against the tree. He wasn’t sure if Xiao Tangqing had fainted from his own spiritual chaos or from Ji Guanqi’s spiritual power shock.

“See you never,” Ji Guanqi said coldly as he mounted his sword and flew off. He had to hurry—wasting so much time with Xiao Tangqing, Wu Xingbai and his group must be arriving soon.

If they met Wu Xingbai, he wouldn’t be able to leave.

Before slipping into deep unconsciousness, Xiao Tangqing only felt that the figure ahead was so familiar, resembling the man who had carried his severely injured body out of the secret realm three months ago.

“Who are you…” Xiao Tangqing murmured softly before losing consciousness.

When Xiao Tangqing awoke, he sensed some noise nearby. Someone must have noticed he had regained consciousness, as a crowd quickly gathered. Opening his eyes, he saw Xi Yao by his side, who looked worried and said, “Second senior brother, you’re finally awake.”

“What happened to me?” Xiao Tangqing’s thoughts gradually cleared. He realized he was in a dilapidated temple, its surroundings in ruins, though the deity statues above were surprisingly clean. He asked, “Where is this?”

“Xi Yao found you lying by the tree and brought you here,” Qiao You approached with his arms crossed and said, “Luo Town is so small, how could you have your meridians disrupted to this extent—almost hitting calamity?”

“Has Master come too?” Seeing Xi Yao and Qiao You, Xiao Tangqing immediately sat up. “I was ambushed on the road by heretical cultivators and caught off guard.”

“That’s what we guessed. Otherwise, how could heretics here block us?” Qiao You sneered. He always considered himself highly cultivated and never took such trivial matters seriously.

“Master and senior brother are outside,” Xi Yao said kindly. “Coincidentally, when we arrived, this mist had just risen. We hadn’t yet dispersed it when we saw the light of the Gentleman’s Sword.”

“The light of the Gentleman’s Sword…” Xiao Tangqing suddenly recalled the silhouette he had seen in his daze and asked, “Where was it seen?”

“At the edge of the village, in the opposite direction from you,” Xi Yao replied gently. “The mist was strange, but it’s been cleared. With Master and several senior brothers here, it feels much safer.”

“What’s the light of the Gentleman’s Sword to be proud of?” Qiao You laughed upon hearing this. “You haven’t seen Master’s Fangtian Halberd—such a divine weapon. A full strike can draw a boundary, cause the cosmos to shift, easily shatter a cultivator’s soul, and prevent their reincarnation.”

Qiao You intended to boast about Wu Xingbai’s power. In this world, the only person he truly respected was Wu Xingbai.

But just as he finished speaking, he found himself silenced again, obviously muted. He looked confusedly toward the door, seeing Wu Xingbai enter and coldly glare at him, saying indifferently, “Noisy.”

Ji Guanqi followed behind Wu Xingbai, his sword at his side, expression as usual, seemingly unaffected by the previous conversation.

In front of Wu Xingbai, Ji Guanqi always looked down slightly, never meeting the South Protector Immortal’s eyes, so he did not notice the fleeting pain in Wu Xingbai’s gaze.

Ji Guanqi felt frustrated but could only accept his bad luck. Wu Xingbai and his group should have taken half a day to arrive, but the trip had been shortened considerably. As a result, Ji Guanqi had just left the village when he ran into Wu Xingbai and company.

In this situation, Ji Guanqi could only say, “Master’s arrival is timely. Second junior brother seems injured.”

Right now, Ji Guanqi was more irritated than anyone.