Chapter 116: Reality: An Exchange
by 八分十二Chapter 116: Reality: An Exchange
This favor was not difficult for She Lingshuang to fulfill, but she understood the significance of the Spirit Binding Rope to Ming Yiyang.
Her thoughts transcended simply erasing the mark; it was more profound than that:
"…Would you kill Uncle Yan?"
Ming Yiyang's expression was genuinely surprised, as if it was inconceivable that she would ask such a question. Then, he suddenly smiled:
"No."
That smile was bright and harmless, seemingly genuine.
Chi Zihe, who already felt that something was off, found the situation even more unsettling. He couldn't resist disrupting the superficial joy and tried to comprehend the changes that had occurred in just a few short days:
"Don't tell me you don't hate him!"
Ming Yiyang appeared somewhat bewildered, almost innocently following the direction of Chi Zihe's words as if to "look," and said:
"I don't hate him."
Chi Zihe felt somewhat suffocated.
It was as if he sensed a perilous transformation in the person before him, into a time bomb that could detonate at any moment, but he had no idea when. There was a manic feeling of things spiraling out of control:
"How can you not hate him?! He's done all those things to you!!"
"Yes, he did those things to me."
Ming Yiyang remained unruffled.
He had turned himself into a mirror, speaking without any emotional ripples:
"Now, I understand the essence of the Unseen Rulers."
"They have no emotions. All those human-like sentiments are merely habitual disguises, nothing more."
"You know all this, yet you still..."
The young man interrupted him, his unfocused eyes holding something far more profound:
"But."
"I still... want him."
Chi Zihe was deeply shaken by these words.
Then, he became so enraged that he felt like stomping his feet in frustration, wishing the other would shape up!
Putting aside how they had spent that chaotic morning, Chi Zihe, unable to contain his impatience, rushed to Xinhepu Road with his wife.
The usually elegant and refined Taoist was now wildly pressing the doorbell, barely restraining himself from kicking the tightly shut black iron door to make it open faster.
Pan Hu, wearing sunglasses, assumed something was wrong and hurriedly rushed out of the house to greet them.
Chi Zihe went straight to the point with his first question:
"Where is Yan Qiling?"
Pan Hu said,
"Our Master is still upstairs..."
Chi Zihe immediately headed upstairs, his steps swift and purposeful.
Pan Hu hurried to follow, not even having the chance to attend to She Lingshuang:
"Mr. Chi, are you going to see our Master? But Master is still deeply asleep..."
He followed behind the obviously agitated Taoist, somewhat perplexed:
"Mr. Chi, what's wrong with you? Has there been any change in Master's condition? Should I prepare something...?"
Chi Zihe slammed open the bathroom door and strode a few steps to the bathtub.
The bathroom was as pristine as a painting, and in the pure white tub, a man clad in a black silk robe lay at the bottom, not even stirring a bubble with his breath, as if he were lifeless.
Pan Hu, noticing Chi Zihe's strange demeanor, couldn't help but glance back at She Lingshuang, who was also quickly approaching.
She Lingshuang averted his gaze, not meeting it directly. Pan Hu sensed that something unusual had occurred, and it was undoubtedly connected to Yan Qiling... Yes, perhaps more than just being related.
There might even be a grudge involved.
After all, Chi Zihe's demeanor resembled someone coming to collect a debt.
Maintaining a composed demeanor, Pan Hu approached the bathtub and used his muscular arm to partially shield Chi Zihe's body from Mr. Lingshuang, creating a barrier between this potentially menacing man and his master:
"Mr. Chi, if there's something you need to discuss, let's do it outside. My master is still sleeping, and it wouldn't be convenient for him to wake up for a conversation right now."
"Let's discuss this outside so I can take note of your opinions. When Master wakes up, I'll surely report it to him for his judgment."
Chi Zihe sneered and said,
"What judgment is there to make? He plucked out Xiao Ming's eyes! Xiao Ming can't see anything now, what decision can he possibly make?!"
This was an unexpected turn of events that Pan Hu hadn't foreseen.
However, upon actually hearing it, he didn't show much reaction.
He promptly displayed an apologetic expression, resembling the basic politeness maintained at a funeral for someone unrelated:
"It is indeed regrettable. Is Mr. Ming's condition still stable?"
Chi Zihe's anger flared upon hearing this:
"Regretful? What bullshit! Your master did such a foolish thing, and all you can do is feel regret? Let me tell you, if Yan Qiling doesn't wake up and clarify this mess right now, this won't be over anytime soon!"
Pan Hu was also quite helpless:
"Mr. Chi, I understand your agitation at the moment. I doubt that Mr. intended for this to happen to Mr. Ming. Moreover, given Mr.'s character, even if he did do something like this, there would surely be a reason behind it."
"Besides, I don't believe that Mr. took Mr. Ming's eyes out of greed. Once everything is settled, Mr. will certainly return them. On that point, I have faith."
"You're his dog, so why should I believe a word you say?"
Chi Zihe tried to push him away:
"Get lost. I'm going to wake him up and ask. Does this guy even have a heart? Does he know what condition Little Ming is in right now? Damn it, if he doesn't return them, he'll ruin Ming Yiyang. What's the difference between that and sending him to his death?!"
"No way!"
Pan Hu grabbed the Taoist, but the man nimbly evaded his grasp. Pan Hu had no choice but to pounce on Chi Zihe with his bear-like body, lifting him up and carrying him out of the bathroom.
She Lingshuang, who had witnessed everything, thought to herself, Impressive, such an unconventional tactic.
With a stormy expression, Chi Zihe was forcefully taken out of the bathroom and sat silently on a small sofa in the living room.
Now, only She Lingshuang could speak up:
"Pan Hu, it's not that we intended to cause trouble. Uncle Yan really overstepped this time."
"I was the one who asked him to help Ming earlier. Now, with what he's done, I have no way to explain it to Old Chi or to Ming."
"What Yan Qiling has done has nothing to do with you. Don't take on all the blame."
Chi Zihe huffed in response.
There was a slight pause in She Lingshuang's tone, but she maintained her gaze at Pan Hu, undeterred.
"We're only using the Revenant Array to temporarily summon Uncle Yan back for a brief consultation. It won't interfere with his affairs in the Realm of Purgatory."
Pan Hu wasn't an innocent fool. The Revenant Array was not something that could be used frequently on humans, let alone on the vulnerable Wujian Lord.
Though Yan Qiling didn't seem fragile, who knew if it was really a Revenant Array they were using? What if it was something else?
His unspoken concerns remained unsaid as he maintained his usual politeness: "Miss She and Mr. Chi, I understand your concerns. But you both know how perilous the Realm of Purgatory can be."
"What if you summon him carelessly and something similar to last time happens? What if other Heaven Rank Wujian Lords detect this? I cannot allow Mr. Yan to take such risks."
Pan Hu was well aware of these people's eagerness to see Mr. Yan, so he wasn't worried about them resorting to force: "The task Mr. Yan is currently undertaking concerns many individuals, not just Mister Ming."
"I admit that Mr. Yan doesn't always consider the feelings of individuals, or even those close to him. However, once he makes a promise, he will undoubtedly keep it."
"Both of you aren't newcomers to this world; you should be well aware of the consequences of making deals with Wujian Lords."
"Sir fulfilled his promise to Miss She, ensuring Mr. Ming would leave alive. Now, hasn't Sir kept his word? Mr. Ming is unharmed except for his eyes, isn't he?"
"The Black Rank Wujian Master protecting two ordinary people to leave alive... Mr. Chi, you understand the magnitude of this challenge."
"You can't assume that because Sir is a Wujian Master, this task was effortless. That wouldn't be fair to him."
Pan Hu's furry fingers interlaced, his beast-like eyes behind the sunglasses exuding calmness:
"Regarding Mr. Ming's eyes, I'll be straightforward. Sir isn't someone who would take something from others without reason, let alone from those around him."
"At times, the reasons are not convenient to share. Although Sir took Mr. Ming's eyes, he surely didn't abandon him. If you truly believed Sir to be like other Wujian Masters, cold and heartless, you wouldn't be listening patiently to me now, would you?"
Chi Zihe stared at him coldly, while She Lingshuang's gaze held a hint of pleading:
"We only want to understand how Uncle Yan is considering this matter. Without the Yin-Yang Eyes, the dangers in Little Ming's future are clear, not just to us, but even more so to Uncle Yan."
Pan Hu refilled her tea cup:
"Sir's approach has always been an exchange. He took the Yin-Yang Eyes from Mr. Ming, so he must have given him something in return. Haven't Mr. Chi and Miss She noticed any difference in Mr. Ming?"
Chi Zihe rolled his eyes upon hearing this.
"You can't possibly be talking about the Spirit-Binding Rope, right? How can these two things be compared?!"
She Lingshuang, on the other hand, felt that they might have overlooked something crucial. After a moment of pondering, an idea struck her, and she turned to ask,
"Did... did you check Ming's train ticket?"
Chi Zihe was taken aback, his brows furrowed.
"No...? With his eyes in that state, I had no interest in checking his ticket."
After their eyes met, both saw the answer reflected in each other's gaze.
Seeing that they had grasped the situation, Pan Hu felt relieved, knowing his guess was correct. He got up to bid them farewell.
"If Sir doesn't wake up tonight, I'll have to retrieve him and dry him off. There's still much work to be done, so I'm afraid I won't be able to entertain the both of you any longer."
Feeling anxious to verify his theory, Chi Zihe didn't dwell on other matters.
Yet, he was genuinely surprised by Pan Hu's loyalty:
"You're married, aren't you? Does your wife know that you spend your days with a handsome man as pretty as a flower? Doesn't she suspect anything about your sexual orientation?"
Pan Hu returned a sincere smile:
"I always finish work on time when Mr. Yan is around; I can go back home at six to cook for my wife. But there's no way around it during times like these; I have to work overtime. Besides, Mr. Yan pays extra for overtime, and my wife thinks this is a good job."
Only after finishing his sentence did he realize the focus of Chi Zihe's question. He chuckled:
"My wife really likes Mr. Yan. She buys all the magazines he features in, and during holidays, she comes with me to visit him. She even asked if Mr. Yan was hiring assistants before, because she wanted to apply."
Chi Zihe understood now. Pan Hu's wife was also a sucker for good looks; she would forget everything once she saw Yan Qiling's face.
There was no need to doubt anything – the couple would probably love to sleep in the same bed as Yan Qiling.
Damn it, never mind.
Anyway, none of them were ordinary people!
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