Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The three of them made their way onto the island. Qi Wuyu turned his head, about to speak, when Mo Chen spoke first: "Would you two mind if I tagged along?"

Qi Wuyu and Liu Nanzhou exchanged a glance. Mo Chen explained, "It's my first time here, and I'm not very familiar with the place. I thought traveling together would allow us to watch each other's backs. If you two have your own matters to attend to, I won't intrude."

Knowing Liu Nanzhou wasn't too fond of him, Qi Wuyu raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with inquiry as he looked at Liu Nanzhou. Liu Nanzhou gave a slight nod.

Qi Wuyu curved his lips into a smile and affectionately ruffled Liu Nanzhou's hair. "It's no trouble at all. Let's go."

"Thank you both."

Liu Nanzhou said, "It's fine," then turned and walked away.

Mo Chen was slightly taken aback before following.

Although called an island, Yingchi Island was quite large. Its periphery even had many villages and towns. Passing through these settlements, the cluster of tall buildings in the distance marked the Pingyan Market.

As he walked, Qi Wuyu lowered his head, looking around, and spotting something, he pulled a small basket from his Cosmos Bag and stuffed it into Liu Nanzhou's hands. Before Liu Nanzhou could ponder what other junk might be in that Cosmos Bag, he saw Qi Wuyu bend over to start digging up plants.

Liu Nanzhou: "..."

Qi Wuyu held up a plant with frilly edges. "Let me tell you, Yingchi Island is full of treasures. Any random plant might have great uses. One with such distinctive features like this is definitely even more useful. We'll take it back for Shen You to study. Even if she can't use it, when we get back, we can definitely sell it for a good price." He tossed the plant into the basket and sighed with feeling. "Talk about being frugal."

Liu Nanzhou knew at once he was talking nonsense with a straight face. He didn't bother responding, just silently held the basket for him.

Mo Chen followed Qi Wuyu over and said with a smile, "Brother Qi really knows a lot."

Qi Wuyu waved a hand dismissively. "Just average, just average."

Liu Nanzhou looked at the two of them in surprise, not expecting them to hit it off so well.

And so, the two of them enthusiastically dug up plants, while Liu Nanzhou acted as their human storage basket. Before long, the basket was stuffed full of a large pile of oddly-shaped medicinal herbs.

Qi Wuyu was still at it, tireless. "Xiao Zhou, look over here." He called out once but received no reply. He called a couple more times, still hearing nothing. "Huh? Where is he?"

He stood up and turned around, realizing that he and Mo Chen, absorbed in digging, had left Liu Nanzhou several *zhang* behind.

At that moment, Liu Nanzhou's basket was placed on the ground. Standing beside him was a little girl with pigtail braids. She carried a basket on her back and held a sickle in her hand. Judging by her clothing, she seemed to be a local villager.

Qi Wuyu saw the little girl take a medicinal herb from the basket, toss it aside with a look of disdain, pick up another one, purse her lips, and throw that one away too.

Qi Wuyu: "?"

Hey! I worked hard for those!

Qi Wuyu and Mo Chen exchanged a glance and walked over. Qi Wuyu put his hands on his hips, looking at the child, then at Liu Nanzhou, and asked, "What are you doing?"

Liu Nanzhou looked at him expressionlessly, arms crossed. "Oh, she's been following us for a while. She seemed to have something to say, so I waited for her."

Qi Wuyu frowned at the little girl, pretending to be somewhat angry. "Little girl, why are you throwing away the herbs we dug up?"

The little girl didn't say anything. She crouched down and dumped all the herbs out of the basket.

Qi Wuyu: "Hey? How can you be so rude, kid?"

The little girl picked up one plant. "This is trash." She tossed it aside, then picked up another. "This one too, and this one... This is a weed, this one is poisonous..."

Qi Wuyu: "..."

After the little girl finished picking through them, only a few plants remained. "These few are somewhat useful."

She looked up at the three of them with a baffled expression, not understanding why these people, who all looked so splendid and impressive, had come here to pick up trash.

Qi Wuyu clearly read her expression and was stung by it. He stood to the side, stiff as a wooden chicken. Liu Nanzhou curved his lips into a slight smile. "Thank you. We still have to travel, and we have nowhere to put them anyway. Consider these few herbs a gift for you."

As he spoke, Liu Nanzhou picked up those few herbs and placed them in the little girl's basket on her back.

After the little girl left, Qi Wuyu still hadn't snapped out of it. Liu Nanzhou patted his shoulder. "Let's go."

Qi Wuyu let out a deep sigh, feeling wounded. He draped both arms over Liu Nanzhou's shoulders from behind, refusing to walk properly. "Was I fooled, Xiao Zhou?"

Feeling Qi Wuyu lean against him, Liu Nanzhou stiffened slightly. He let out a long, slow breath before relaxing and said, "Do you want to go pick them back up?"

Qi Wuyu hugged his neck and rubbed against him. "No, I'm heartbroken."

Mo Chen watched Qi Wuyu leaning on Liu Nanzhou and smiled. "You two really have a good relationship."

Qi Wuyu perked up and straightened. "Of course." He ruffled Liu Nanzhou's hair. "I brought him up. Who else would he be close to if not me, right, Xiao Zhou?"

Liu Nanzhou uttered a hurried "Mm." "Let's hurry. The sun is about to set."

Qi Wuyu laughed softly and said to Mo Chen, "He's shy."

Liu Nanzhou turned his head and gave him a warning look. Qi Wuyu wisely made a gesture of sewing his lips shut.

Mo Chen shook his head with a smile. "I think Brother Qi seems more like the disciple, and a mischievous one at that."

Qi Wuyu laughed heartily. "I wish! Unfortunately, my venerable master left this world long ago."

Liu Nanzhou had hardly ever heard Qi Wuyu speak of his master. In fact, Qi Wuyu rarely spoke of his past. When he did, it was mostly boasting and tall tales, hard to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Liu Nanzhou tilted his head slightly, but Qi Wuyu had already run ahead. "That tallest building up ahead. Let's race to see who gets there first."

Liu Nanzhou: "Never seen you so diligent usually."

Qi Wuyu stretched lazily. "Need to exercise occasionally." He turned his head. "Brother Mo, are you in?"

Mo Chen rubbed his hands together. "Alright."

Qi Wuyu assumed a starting stance. "I'll count to three, and we'll start... Three!"

Before his words even finished, he shot off like an arrow from a bowstring. Mo Chen: "..."

He stared blankly at Liu Nanzhou. "Didn't he say count to three?"

Liu Nanzhou, clearly having anticipated this, said calmly, "He's always been like that."

Then he left his spot.

Mo Chen had nothing to say about this master and disciple pair who had no sense of fair play. He could only chase after them.

Golden chrysanthemums were just beginning to bloom, their fragrance drifting on the autumn breeze. In less than a quarter of an hour, the three arrived at Pingyan.

Actually, calling it a market wasn't entirely accurate. This place was similar to the other villages on the island, even larger than some, complete with food, drink, and entertainment.

Since the market lasted for several days, just a few steps inside the entrance stood an inn. The inn's building soared into the clouds, its upturned eaves reaching into the sky. At the corners of the eaves sat sculptures of auspicious beasts, simple yet solemn.

Mo Chen was somewhat surprised. "I never imagined it would be so magnificent here."

Qi Wuyu hadn't exerted himself this much in a long time and was utterly exhausted. He waved a hand, gasping for breath, "Never mind the grandeur, Brother Mo. Let's hurry inside so I can have some water."

Liu Nanzhou held him up with a look of utter helplessness. "Who was it that wanted to race just now?"

Qi Wuyu fell silent.

The three of them went inside. The building was not only tall on the outside; inside, it was adorned with carved beams and painted rafters. In the center, there was even an opera stage where someone was swinging on a swing and dancing. Not far from the stage, to the right, was a counter where a middle-aged man was leaning on his arm, dozing.

Liu Nanzhou tapped the counter. The man jolted awake, and seeing them, the corners of his eyes crinkled. "Oh, welcome, three esteemed guests, to Pingyan. We have fine wine and delicacies, handsome men and beautiful women, spiritual medicines and precious artifacts—everything you could want. Whether you're here to eat, drink, have fun, or..."

Qi Wuyu placed the jade pendant from his waist on the table. "Start with three rooms for us."

"...Unfortunately, sirs, the market starts tomorrow. It's been crowded lately, and we only have two rooms left."

"Two rooms it is." Qi Wuyu turned to Liu Nanzhou. "We'll share a room, and Brother Mo gets his own. Okay?"

Liu Nanzhou paused briefly, then nodded.

The man handed them two room tokens and pointed behind him. "The three of you can take the elevator upstairs. Please, this way."

The building had eight floors. The three boarded the elevator and, in a matter of seconds, reached the fifth floor. Someone was already waiting at the elevator entrance to receive them.

"Please follow me."

An attendant led the way. The open-air corridor provided a view of the surroundings.

It was a building surrounding a central courtyard. In the middle was a large pond, and in the center of the pond stood a pavilion connected by corridors. The view was expansive, the water beautiful, and those with good eyesight could even see fish swimming in the pond.

At that moment, Mo Chen saw a woman walk to the edge of the pond and, out of the blue, jump in. Mo Chen was startled, but when he looked again, the woman had transformed into a fish and swam away.

"That... that's a demon."

The attendant was unfazed. "Yingchi Island is a place where humans and demons live together. But don't worry, young master, they would never harm anyone."

"So that's how it is." Mo Chen patted his chest, then turned to see the attendant suddenly sprout two fish fins on his face, which even flapped a couple of times. Mo Chen cried out in surprise and took two steps back, nearly stepping on Liu Nanzhou.

"You... you too!"

The attendant, pleased with his successful prank, restored his human face and smiled. "You must be tired from your journey. Downstairs, there are places to eat, rest, and have fun. Upstairs, there are hot springs for bathing. If you need anything, just ask." The attendant led them to their rooms and indicated. "These two rooms are for the three of you."

"Thank you." Liu Nanzhou inadvertently noticed a half-red tattoo on the attendant's exposed wrist.

After the attendant left, Qi Wuyu said goodnight to Mo Chen and entered the room with Liu Nanzhou.

Mo Chen watched them enter and close the door, then glanced downstairs and headed down himself.

Qi Wuyu threw himself onto the bed. "Such a soft bed."

Liu Nanzhou poured a cup of water and handed it to him. "Drink."

Qi Wuyu sat up, took it, and downed it in one gulp. "Another cup."

Liu Nanzhou poured him another. After three cups in a row, Qi Wuyu set the cup aside, kicked off his shoes, and rolled onto the bed.

He buried his face in the pillow, lying on top of the quilt. Liu Nanzhou paid him no mind, sipping his tea quietly. After a while, Qi Wuyu lifted his head and saw Liu Nanzhou looking at something. "Xiao Zhou, what are you looking at?"

"A pamphlet about the market."

"Let me see."

Liu Nanzhou handed it to him. Qi Wuyu flipped through it, roughly figuring out what each area was for, and began planning their route with Liu Nanzhou. Liu Nanzhou had no objections and went along with his plans.

Suddenly, Qi Wuyu saw something and sat up straight, his eyes lighting up. "Hey? There's a tavern here. Let's go there tomorrow." He then stroked his chin. "But you can't drink. Tomorrow, we'll see if there's anything else there. If not, we'll just fill my wine flask and leave."

Liu Nanzhou sighed helplessly.

Qi Wuyu closed the pamphlet. "By the way, I haven't asked you yet."

"Hmm?"

Qi Wuyu propped his chin on his hand. "Didn't you dislike Mo Chen? Why did you agree to travel with him?"

Liu Nanzhou was silent for a moment before saying, "He doesn't seem like a bad person. That strange aura around him has disappeared, and he's not too annoying."

"How can you be sure he's not a bad person? Because of what he said on the boat?"

Liu Nanzhou nodded. "Don't you get along quite well with him too?"

Qi Wuyu smiled without answering.

"What are you smiling at?"

Qi Wuyu leaned closer to look at him. "You know, from a certain angle, you two actually look a bit alike."

Liu Nanzhou leaned back, frowning. "There's something wrong with your eyesight."

Qi Wuyu chuckled.

Liu Nanzhou, puzzled, asked, "Are you hungry? Do you want to go get something to eat?"

"I am a bit. Let's go, let's explore downstairs."

Qi Wuyu put on his shoes, and they went downstairs to find food.

As soon as they descended, they were hit by a wave of enticing aromas. The main hall was bustling with noise, and a waiter carrying a tray of dishes floated past them.

"Wow, it's hot pot!"

Qi Wuyu dragged Liu Nanzhou to an empty table and sat down. A waiter immediately brought over a steaming pot. "Whatever you two desire, just say the word."

Qi Wuyu ordered a long list of dishes like he was reciting a menu. After eating and drinking their fill, they were covered in the smell of hot pot. They then went for a comfortable bath and returned to their room, fresh and clean, to rest.

Qi Wuyu practically sprawled out and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Liu Nanzhou, however, lay stiffly on his side of the bed, staring at the ceiling.

He couldn't sleep. Firstly, for some reason, his sleep had been poor lately; sometimes he'd even startle awake during meditation. Secondly, it was because there was another person beside him—Qi Wuyu's presence was simply too overwhelming.

Qi Wuyu didn't have any bad habits; he didn't snore or sleepwalk. It was just his body warmth and the steady sound of his breathing in the dark quiet that unsettled Liu Nanzhou's heartbeat.

Liu Nanzhou carefully turned onto his side, looking at Qi Wuyu's profile. He couldn't quite explain when this feeling had started or where it came from. He only knew that since childhood, his world had been very limited. The people of the Tianyao Sect occupied one part of it, and the remaining nine parts were all Qi Wuyu.

He knew full well that this feeling was like a rat in a sewer, something that couldn't see the light of day. He could only keep it carefully tucked away in his heart. He never asked for anything more; he just wanted to stay by his side as his little disciple, who didn't worry about anything and occasionally got fooled by him.

Thinking this way, he seemed to find some peace. Closing his eyes and listening to the breathing beside him, he surprisingly fell asleep.

But his sleep was not restful. Lately, it had always been like this—either he couldn't sleep, or he dreamed too much. In any case, he never slept soundly.

In his dream, he didn't know where he was. He only knew it was pitch black. He had never seen a place so dark; he even wondered if his eyes were open.

He couldn't see, couldn't touch, couldn't hear clearly. He kept walking, not knowing for how long or to where. Only darkness enveloped him, clinging like a bone-deep affliction that couldn't be shaken off or dispelled. Along with the darkness was boundless loneliness, swallowing him like a tidal wave.

Liu Nanzhou broke out in a cold sweat, his whole body trembling slightly. Qi Wuyu called his name several times, but got no response. When he touched Liu Nanzhou's hand, it was ice-cold.

With no other option, Qi Wuyu pulled him over, holding him in his arms, gently patting him and soothing, "There, there, it's alright, it's alright."

Darkness and loneliness still surrounded Liu Nanzhou, but because of this tune and the faint, familiar scent at the tip of his nose, he subconsciously knew he was not alone.

After about fifteen minutes, Liu Nanzhou gradually calmed down, and only then was Qi Wuyu able to sleep peacefully.

Early the next morning, Liu Nanzhou opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he seemed to be in someone's arms. He looked up and saw Qi Wuyu propping his head up, looking at him with amused eyes. Seeing him awake, Qi Wuyu gave him a smile as warm as a spring breeze.

Liu Nanzhou, startled, pushed him away and sat up halfway, too shocked to speak. He couldn't understand how he had woken up in Qi Wuyu's arms—he never crawled into other people's arms in his sleep!

Qi Wuyu said, "Still burrowing into people's arms when you sleep at this age?"

Liu Nanzhou's ears turned red as he sat up, not looking at him. He kicked him, gesturing for him to move his leg, which was blocking him from getting out of bed.

Qi Wuyu moved his leg aside, and Liu Nanzhou sat on the edge of the bed to put on his shoes.

Qi Wuyu turned around, still propping his head up to look at him. His smile faded, and he asked with rare seriousness, "Do you often have nightmares?"

Liu Nanzhou denied it automatically. "No."

Qi Wuyu sat up. "Back in Golden Que Valley, you said you couldn't sleep. Has it been happening since then?"

Liu Nanzhou turned to look at him with slight surprise. He hadn't expected that his offhand remark, which Qi Wuyu hadn't seemed to pay much attention to at the time, was actually remembered all along?

Qi Wuyu asked, "Are there any other places where you feel unwell?"

Liu Nanzhou shook his head gently. "No."

He had wondered if he was under some kind of spell. The feeling was very similar to when he was possessed by the Shadow Demon years ago. But if it were the Shadow Demon, he couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Liu Nanzhou stood up. "What's there to say about this?"

He wasn't a child who hadn't been weaned yet. Something like this wasn't worth mentioning.

Qi Wuyu watched his back as he went to wash up and shook his head helplessly before getting up to do the same.

After the two had finished getting ready, Qi Wuyu opened the door just as Mo Chen was also coming out. He didn't look so good. Qi Wuyu asked, "Brother Mo, did you also not sleep well last night?"

Mo Chen smiled sheepishly. "I was downstairs getting in on the fun and drinking last night. Ended up staying out a bit too late, and my head still hurts. What about you, Brother Qi? Didn't sleep well either?"

"Not at all," Qi Wuyu said.

Mo Chen caught on, his gaze shifting to Liu Nanzhou, who ignored them both and walked out without a word, his expression neutral. "The market is about to start. Let's go."

Qi Wuyu and Mo Chen exchanged a smile and followed. Mo Chen teased, "What, little brother, did you also drink too much last night?"

Qi Wuyu laughed. "He can't handle alcohol at all."

Liu Nanzhou walked ahead, pretending not to hear.

The three had a quick breakfast before heading out. It was almost past the hour of Chen, and the market was already in full swing. Stalls lined the streets, some vendors shouting energetically, others fanning themselves and basking in the sun.

"Improved new-flavor Fasting Pills! Fruit flavor, barbecue flavor, hotpot flavor—everything you could want! Limited time, limited quantity, first come, first served!"

"Talismans personally drawn by the Third City Lord of Tianmen Five Cities! Can track, can locate, no worries finding people or objects! Second one half price!"

Liu Nanzhou: "......"

Why did this feel different from what he had imagined......

"Ah, my Xiao Liu!" a cultivator exclaimed.

Hearing the sound, Qi Wuyu turned his head. He heard the flapping of wings and looked up to see a pheasant-like animal flapping its wings a few times, shedding several feathers. With a martyr's resolve, it slammed headfirst into a pillar, then dropped straight down, landing in the hands of the person chasing after it. That person turned around, holding the dazed bird, and went to argue with someone.

"Wow, that was quite the impact," Qi Wuyu remarked, feeling the pain just from watching.

A feather from Xiao Liu landed on Liu Nanzhou. Qi Wuyu was about to help him remove it, but someone else's hand was faster.

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Author's Note: Sweetie [Rainbow Fart]

I've been really busy lately. I'll revise it when I have time [Melting]

Second edit: Because I'm still a bit short on the word count for the rankings, and posting a single chapter would be too little, I've added it here. Thanks for your support [Begging You] Love you all [Kiss]