6 A Mouthful of Clotted Blood

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Qiao You returned just in time for the day before the grand sect ceremony.

In his last life, Qiao You had also arrived at this very time. Ji Guanqi still remembered how the other man had kicked open his little wooden door then, tossed the trinkets he had brought back onto his bed, and said they were small gifts he had picked up for him on a whim.

In truth, they were merely odds and ends he had sifted through and deemed not worth keeping, so he had casually thrown them to Ji Guanqi.

Qiao You had a fiery temper. Back in the sect, he was always getting into fights with the other disciples, and more often than not he relied on force to suppress them. Sometimes Ji Guanqi could not stand by and watch, and after stepping in to say a few words, he would instead become a target as well.

But Qiao You did indeed possess exceptional talent, and being the sect master’s only son gave him every reason to be proud.

“This time I really hurried back. I heard Master came out of seclusion two days ago, and then suddenly went back into seclusion. Is that true? The outside world is buzzing about it, anyway. Some say Master saw a peerless genius among this year’s cultivators and wanted to take him in as our junior brother, which was why he came out early. Others say something went wrong while Master was in seclusion... In any case, all sorts of guesses are flying around.” As soon as Qiao You returned, he went to find Xiao Tangqing and said beside him, “You know about this, right?”

“I know no more than you do,” Xiao Tangqing said.

“I’ve been away these past days, and only you and Ji Guanqi have been left together. You must be tired of it, right?” Qiao You said with a smile as he stepped forward, about to pat Xiao Tangqing on the shoulder, only for the other man to dodge him directly. Qiao You snorted. “I’ve finally come to rescue you. Just imagine if Ji Guanqi didn’t exist in this world at all...”

“Qiao You.” Xiao Tangqing’s voice hardened. “Mind your words.”

“You think differently from me? Stop pretending.” Qiao You clapped his hands and stood up. “For him to become our senior brother is already a blessing cultivated through three lifetimes. Does he really think he can be our senior brother? We call him Senior Brother only for the sake of Master. Otherwise, who would pay any attention to such a mediocre waste who only knows how to grind away in bitter cultivation?”

“You’ve said too much today,” Xiao Tangqing said, instinctively glancing toward the wooden hut. Ji Guanqi’s little door was still shut tight, and no one knew how much he had heard. But Qiao You’s voice had been far from low, and given Ji Guanqi’s cultivation, he was likely to have heard every word.

“Am I wrong?” Qiao You’s face turned cold. He waved a hand. “What, are you really going to admit that a waste like him can be our senior brother? If I call him ‘Senior Brother,’ would he even dare answer? He wouldn’t be afraid of shortening his life span?”

With a soft click, both men turned toward the sound. Ji Guanqi had emerged from the grove; he was clearly just back from sword practice, sweat still beading on his forehead. After seeing Qiao You and Xiao Tangqing, the corners of his mouth, which had been slightly lifted, instantly flattened. He said nothing and walked past them.

“Senior Brother.” Xiao Tangqing stepped forward to speak, but Qiao You pulled him back at once. Frowning, he said, “What does Ji Guanqi mean by that? Is he displeased with me?”

“He broke his shoulder blade three months ago and was seriously injured,” Xiao Tangqing said. “A few days ago his cultivation went awry, and his spiritual power injured his meridians. He’s in a bad mood. Don’t provoke him.”

“I’m provoking him?” Qiao You said with a cold laugh, folding his arms. “I’ve said it long ago: the path of cultivation is only fit for geniuses like us. Ordinary people should not come and make a spectacle of themselves. I simply cannot understand why Master chose him as the first senior disciple in the first place.”

“So would I like to know why,” came a voice.

Both Xiao Tangqing and Qiao You looked over. Ji Guanqi had already changed his clothes. He stood half-leaning against the wooden door, his sword in his arms, and said, “If you want this position, you can go ask Master. I’m tired of it anyway.”

There he stood, half-reclining in white robes, handsome in appearance, with a face full of upright spirit. Spiritual energy coiled around the gentleman’s sword in his arms, making him all the more striking.

Ji Guanqi was, in truth, very good-looking. At the very least, while Qiao You had mocked his talent countless times and belittled his bitter cultivation, he had never once denied his looks. Ji Guanqi was indeed uncommonly handsome, so much so that anyone looking at him would feel refreshed and at ease.

“Senior Brother.” After hearing this, Xiao Tangqing’s expression changed slightly. “You can’t speak like that.”

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“Senior Brother, since he no longer wants to be the chief disciple, that makes things even better. After all, we never wanted to acknowledge a waste as our senior brother.” With that, Qiao You directly drew out his natal weapon, the Chasing Moon Bow. He lifted his chin with careless provocation. “You don’t like hearing me call you a waste? Then let’s fight. If you win, I’ll willingly call you Senior Brother. If you lose, you must go tell Master that you are willing to be expelled from the sect and give up this chief position. Ji Guanqi, do you dare?”

“Qiao You!” Xiao Tangqing immediately stepped in to stop him and would not let him continue.

Yet Ji Guanqi fell silent.

For some reason, seeing him like that made Xiao Tangqing’s heart suddenly sink with unease.

Not a word? So in the end, you still don’t dare,” Qiao You sneered, already preparing to put away the Chasing Moon Bow. “Sure enough, you’re still shamelessly clinging to the sect’s chief seat. Ji Guanqi, how hypocritical can you be, you—”

“Fine,” Ji Guanqi suddenly said, cutting him off. “Now? Or when?”

At those words, Xiao Tangqing, who had been standing aside, could no longer sit still. He got up, pressed a hand on Qiao You’s shoulder, and then said to Ji Guanqi, “You can’t beat Qiao You. Don’t force yourself.”

Qiao You glanced back at Xiao Tangqing, then continued to look at Ji Guanqi with taunting eyes, as if to say, Do you dare, you waste?

“Come on.” Ji Guanqi had already long wanted a chance to shed the title of “sect chief.” Better yet, if he could be driven out of the sect entirely, that would be ideal. He said at once, “If I lose, I will request to have the sect chief title removed, leave the sect, and never return.”

“You’d better keep your word!” Qiao You’s eyes lit up at once.

“Ji Guanqi,” Xiao Tangqing said with a frown. “Do you know what you’re saying?”

“I know. This has nothing to do with you, or do you want to join as well?” Ji Guanqi’s lips curved faintly, but there was not the slightest trace of a smile in his eyes.

Qiao You was afraid Xiao Tangqing might stop him, so he immediately said, “Then let it be now. If I lose, I’ll leave the sect at once.”

His cultivation was higher than Ji Guanqi’s, and the Chasing Moon Bow in his hands was one of the sect’s treasured relics. The pain of that arrow, the one that had pierced Ji Guanqi’s shoulder blade that day, remained vivid in his memory.

“Arrows fired by the Chasing Moon Bow do not merely wound the body; they can also damage one’s spiritual meridians. They are extremely difficult to heal,” Xiao Tangqing said in a low voice. “Enough. If Master learns of this, we’ll all be punished.”

At the mention of the Immortal Lord of South Mountain, Qiao You still shivered slightly. In the end, he was somewhat wary. But Ji Guanqi had already drawn the Gentleman Sword. A cold gleam of sword light swept across the eyes of the three men as he said, “If the Immortal Lord asks, I will bear all blame myself.”

Again, the Immortal Lord.

That strange sense of wrongness returned. Xiao Tangqing looked at Ji Guanqi once more and realized that the other man truly intended to fight Qiao You. This did not match Ji Guanqi’s usual temperament at all.

Qiao You’s temper was always terrible, and he spoke without the least courtesy. In the past, Ji Guanqi would usually simply tolerate it; he had always been broad-minded and patient. It was rare to see him so sharp-edged, and this Ji Guanqi, or rather the Ji Guanqi of these past few days, felt deeply wrong, as though he had become a stranger.

The Chasing Moon Bow was gripped in Qiao You’s hand. He drew the bowstring, and spiritual power gathered at once into the shape of a sharp arrow, its tip aimed straight at Ji Guanqi. He sneered in contempt. “Don’t come crying foul if you lose!”

The moment the words fell, the arrow shot out. The Gentleman Sword swept horizontally before Ji Guanqi and blocked the first strike, after which three more arrows came from different directions. They were each deflected, only for the arrows to multiply again.

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This was the Chasing Moon Bow: if one strike failed, it would pursue again and again until a net was cast over heaven and earth, trapping its target in certain death.

“What a fine weapon,” Ji Guanqi said. He had no intention of dragging this into a life-and-death battle within that net of heaven and earth. He seized the timing almost perfectly and deliberately revealed an opening, intending to concede by means of it.

He wanted to leave the sect, but he had no desire to be gravely injured. Having judged the measure just right, he allowed one of the arrows to graze past his side.

Yet just as the arrow reached him, it was suddenly shattered.

The arrow formed from spiritual power instantly broke into countless strands of scattered energy, dispersing into the air. This turn of events stunned not only Ji Guanqi, but also Xiao Tangqing and Qiao You.

“Master,” Qiao You murmured. “Only Master can shatter my Chasing Moon Arrow.”

The spiritual power was too close to Ji Guanqi. He could also tell that this power truly belonged to the Immortal Lord of South Mountain. His body trembled faintly of its own accord, and the hand holding the sword quivered slightly. Though there was no wound in his chest, he nevertheless felt a pain that pierced straight into his bones and marrow.

Ji Guanqi’s face went instantly pale. Fine beads of cold sweat broke out at his temples. Then he heard a voice, audible only to the three of them, sound in his ears. It was the Immortal Lord of South Mountain. His tone was as calm as ever as he said, word by word, “The three of you, come at once to South Mountain Hall.”

A muffled cough.

Ji Guanqi’s mind was unsettled, and the spiritual power within him, already in disarray, erupted at once. He spat out a mouthful of dark blood, staining his white robes red. With his other hand he gripped his sword to steady himself, and for a moment it seemed as though he had returned to that day once more.

“Ji Guanqi!” Xiao Tangqing’s expression changed at once. He hurried forward to support him, sending warm spiritual power into Ji Guanqi’s body to guide the chaotic currents.

Qiao You’s face also changed. He stared at the man whose face had turned ghostly white in an instant, standing rooted to the spot in shock. Only after a moment did he step forward and say, “I didn’t wound you. What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m fine.” Ji Guanqi pushed away Xiao Tangqing’s support, casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said impassively, “You won. I’ll abide by our earlier agreement.”

With that, he turned and walked straight toward South Mountain Hall, where the Immortal Lord resided. For a moment Qiao You did not know how to respond. He instinctively looked to Xiao Tangqing and said, “I really didn’t hurt him.”

“And...” Qiao You paused, furrowing his brow. “He won’t... really be taking this bet seriously, will he? Actually, if he had just said a few soft words to me, I wouldn’t have minded looking the other way.”

He had wanted Ji Guanqi to disappear from his sight before. Yet now that the other man truly said he would leave the sect, Qiao You’s heart gave a heavy thud instead, and he subconsciously followed after him.

If Ji Guanqi left... if he really left...

Qiao You suddenly did not want to keep thinking about it.