Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Qi Wuyu silently retracted the leg he’d been about to use to climb up on the table. Chu Yunliu, seeing him awake, shot up. "You're finally awake!"

Qi Wuyu and Mo Chen ran over. Qi Wuyu looked at him with concern and asked, "How are you feeling? Anywhere still sore?"

Liu Nanzhou shook his head.

Chu Yunliu pulled him by the arm into the room. "Come inside, come inside! Let me tell you, if you hadn't woken up soon, Qi Wuyu would have wrecked my courtyard!"

Qi Wuyu followed them in. "Stop tattling."

Chu Yunliu proceeded to recount, laying it on thick, all the trouble Qi Wuyu had caused over the past few days. Liu Nanzhou listened in silence. His mind was elsewhere, but when Chu Yunliu mentioned Qi Wuyu practicing with his spear and ruining a whole courtyard of flowers, his brow twitched slightly.

Qi Wuyu wasn't exactly a flower enthusiast, but he had taken excellent care of the phoenix trees back in Feng Province. He would never do such a thing. Liu Nanzhou glanced at Qi Wuyu, who guiltily looked away.

Liu Nanzhou thought for another moment. Although Qi Wuyu was a troublemaker, he usually only messed up his own stuff, knowing where to draw the line. It seemed unlikely he would go wreck someone else's place, unless...

Chu Yunliu narrated with vivid expressions and gestures, talking himself hoarse. He took a sip of water. Liu Nanzhou looked at him and said seriously, "Did you provoke him?"

Chu Yunliu: "......"

"If you hadn't provoked him, he wouldn't have done such a thing."

Chu Yunliu: "?"

Are you for real?

Qi Wuyu was tempted to applaud. He hooked a stool over with his long leg and sat down beside Liu Nanzhou, jerking his chin at Chu Yunliu. "Hear that? Grown man still tattling. Besides, didn't I replant it for you?"

Chu Yunliu shot him an undisguised eye-roll. Like master, like disciple.

Mo Chen tried to calm them both down. "Alright, alright. The main thing is he's okay now."

"Right." Chu Yunliu asked curiously, "Little Nanzhou, what exactly did you see inside the Wuxiang Stone? You came out looking like you'd been drenched in blood, saw Qi Wuyu, and passed out cold. It scared the hell out of him."

Liu Nanzhou's expression stiffened. Qi Wuyu, seeing this, shot to his feet and started dragging Chu Yunliu out. "Why do you have so many questions? He just woke up and needs his rest. It's getting late, you should go back and rest too."

Although Mo Chen was also a bit curious, he tactfully offered a word of advice to Liu Nanzhou and went out first. Chu Yunliu, failing to read the room, hung back. "Hey, I'm just curious, why are you kicking me out... Hey?"

*Bang!* The door was shut in his face.

Standing outside, Chu Yunliu looked puzzled. "Did I touch a nerve?"

Mo Chen was standing nearby, smiling as he watched him. Chu Yunliu asked, "Aren't you curious?"

Mo Chen: "I am."

"Why didn't you ask?"

Mo Chen smiled. "If he wants to tell us, he'll tell us naturally."

He gave a lazy stretch and returned to his room.

Chu Yunliu pouted. "Fine."

Once the two of them were gone, only Qi Wuyu and Liu Nanzhou remained in the room. Qi Wuyu stood by the door. Liu Nanzhou looked down, nervous.

What if Qi Wuyu asked him too?

What had he seen?

He could dodge Chu Yunliu's question, but he couldn't brush off Qi Wuyu. He couldn't lie to Qi Wuyu, and he didn't know how to explain it to him either.

Truthfully, his memories from inside the Wuxiang Stone were hazy. The most vivid impressions were the sword that had scorched his hand and, at the end, himself holding Qi Wuyu in despair. But the cause and effect, he hadn't remembered clearly. The only thing he remembered clearly was his Heart Demon.

The Heart Demon born from his own impure, shameful thoughts.

Liu Nanzhou heard a rustling sound as Qi Wuyu walked over. He pursed his lips. "Master, I..."

Qi Wuyu raised his hand and ruffled his hair. "You've been lying down for so long, you must be starving, right? I'll go make you something to eat."

Liu Nanzhou's heart gave a lurch. Before he could answer, Qi Wuyu had already gone out first.

He let out a sigh of relief, only feeling the weight of his Heart Demon increase.

Qi Wuyu went to the kitchen intending to cook some wontons. Since he hadn't eaten either, he made a bit extra, preparing portions for the other two as well.

Chu Yunliu had sworn up and down that he no longer needed to eat, but in reality, by the second meal, he couldn't resist coming to mooch food.

After cooking and ladling out the wontons, he told Chu Yunliu and Mo Chen to go eat, while he himself carried two bowls to Liu Nanzhou's room.

The porcelain bowls steamed with heat. A few drops of sesame oil floated on the surface, dotted with vibrant green scallions. It looked light and simple but smelled wonderfully fragrant.

"I didn't make the seasoning too strong in yours. For the next couple of days, it's better to eat something light."

Liu Nanzhou nodded. "Thank you, Master."

"Eat while it's hot."

Liu Nanzhou was probably truly hungry. A large bowl of wontons quickly disappeared, and he even drank all the soup.

Finally, after Qi Wuyu finished eating, they cleared the bowls together.

Back in the room, Qi Wuyu helped Liu Nanzhou change the dressing on his hand. He had specifically asked Chu Yunliu, who assured him this medicine would definitely not leave a scar.

Liu Nanzhou hesitated for a long moment before speaking. "Inside the Wuxiang Stone..."

Qi Wuyu, still looking down as he carefully applied the medicine, said, "It's fine. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'm not that curious."

Liu Nanzhou fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Can the Wuxiang Stone really predict the future?"

Qi Wuyu finally looked up at him. "To be honest, I don't know much about the Wuxiang Stone either. Predicting the future might be a stretch, but it probably can indicate some general trends."

"What did you see when you went in back then?"

Qi Wuyu was slightly taken aback. "I... I don't remember too clearly." He smiled faintly. "I think I saw the world thrown into chaos."

He looked down at Liu Nanzhou's palm, thinking Chu Yunliu's medicine was really quite effective. Indeed, no scar remained. The hand was clean and fair, bearing only the calluses formed from practicing with the sword.

Qi Wuyu said, "Not bad. Probably one more day and it'll be about done." He wrapped it carefully. "It doesn't hurt anymore, right?"

Liu Nanzhou shook his head. "No."

Qi Wuyu smiled. "That sword of yours really has quite a temper. Burning others is one thing, but it doesn't even spare its own master."

Liu Nanzhou's gaze fell on the sword by the bed. He reached over, picked it up, and examined the blade carefully. His left hand tentatively gripped the hilt. It was a bit hot, but not scorching.

Liu Nanzhou drew the sword. The long blade reflected a bloody light, and as it left the scabbard, Qi Wuyu felt a surge of violent, fierce energy. Looking at the sword, Qi Wuyu suddenly felt Chu Yunliu might have been right. This sword did seem a bit... ferocious.

Liu Nanzhou's fingers traced the blade, moving toward the hilt where the sword's inscription was carved. The characters were chiseled as if by axe and blade, each stroke bristling with a fierce, murderous intent.

The inscription read: Shejiang Sword.

"Master, this sword is fierce, and it seems to carry a hint of demonic energy."

"It's acceptable," Qi Wuyu said dismissively. "Chu Yunliu mentioned that the iron for this sword was picked up near the Demon Abyss City, so it might have absorbed some taint. But after being refined in the Xujin Embers, any impurity should be gone. Though it has a heavy, malicious aura, it's still a rare and excellent sword."

Liu Nanzhou nodded.

Qi Wuyu cautioned, "A violent sword, even after recognizing its master, is prone to turning on its wielder. You must be strong-willed. As for demonic energy... you lack strong desires, rarely harbor negative emotions, and are upright and kind-hearted—neither treacherous nor evil, nor easily manipulated. You're not the type demons typically target, so there's no need to worry."

Liu Nanzhou: "..."

He heard a laugh from the demonic energy within his Spiritual Platform.

If he had been hesitating before about whether to confess his Heart Demon predicament, now he was determined to keep it bottled up inside. He dared not imagine how Qi Wuyu would react if he found out.

Perhaps he wouldn't scold or strike him, but he would surely be disappointed.

And disappointment would mean Liu Nanzhou could no longer stay by Qi Wuyu's side—a prospect as fatal to him as a fish out of water.

Qi Wuyu stood up. "Whether a sword is good or bad depends entirely on the heart of the one who wields it. If your intentions are pure and good, it will not slaughter the innocent. In your hands, I believe it won't become a bloodthirsty blade. It might have a temper, but it won't harm people."

Liu Nanzhou looked up at him. Qi Wuyu tilted his head and smiled. "If you really feel it's not suitable, we can always toss it back to Chu Yunliu."

Heart Demon?

So what if it was a Heart Demon?

If the real Qi Wuyu was right before him, how could a fake one cause chaos within his Spiritual Platform? Besides, it was just a wisp of energy, only daring to seek him out through the Wuxiang Stone. Sooner or later, he would drive this Heart Demon out of his Spiritual Platform.

Suddenly, it all seemed clear. He pressed his lips together, his gaze firm as he looked at Qi Wuyu. "I can do it."

Qi Wuyu smiled knowingly and ruffled his hair. "That's my disciple! Rest early. Take one more day to recover, and the day after tomorrow, we'll head for home."

Liu Nanzhou nodded. "Alright."

The next morning, as soon as Liu Nanzhou stepped outside, he saw Chu Yunliu and Qi Wuyu fighting in the courtyard. Qi Wuyu wielded a tree branch, while Chu Yunliu held a wooden stick. Hearing the noise, Chu Yunliu immediately shouted toward Liu Nanzhou, "Hurry up and do something about this!"

Liu Nanzhou asked, "What's going on?"

Mo Chen stood to the side, watching while shelling melon seeds. "Your master dragged Master Chu out of his room first thing in the morning to fight."

Liu Nanzhou was puzzled. "Why?"

Mo Chen shrugged. "No idea." He scratched his head. "I never thought Brother Qi was so combative before."

Recalling what Chu Yunliu had told him about Qi Wuyu's behavior over the past couple of days, Liu Nanzhou realized it was indeed rather odd.

He immediately stepped forward, separating the two, grabbing one with each hand. "Stop!"

Qi Wuyu, who had looked serious, softened his expression upon seeing him and lowered the branch. Chu Yunliu roared at Qi Wuyu, "You were really hitting me! I'm an artificer—how could I possibly beat you?"

With that, he plopped down on the ground and started wailing in mock despair. "There's no justice! Who bullies people like this?!"

Qi Wuyu: "..."

Liu Nanzhou: "..."

Mo Chen's eyes widened slightly. He cracked another seed, applauding inwardly. Master Chu was truly entertaining.

Belatedly realizing he had been too rough, Qi Wuyu tossed the branch aside, walked over to Chu Yunliu, crouched down, and extended a hand. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. Maybe it's been too long since I last fought someone, and I couldn't hold back. Let me make you something delicious to make up for it, alright?"

Protected by spiritual energy, Chu Yunliu hadn't actually been hurt much. Seeing Qi Wuyu's good attitude in apologizing, he didn't push it and took the offered hand to get up. "Fine, I'll reluctantly forgive you."

Qi Wuyu gave a short laugh and glanced at Liu Nanzhou and Mo Chen. "You two haven't eaten either, right? Wait a bit."

With that, he turned and headed to the kitchen.

Liu Nanzhou looked at Chu Yunliu. When Qi Wuyu had picked a fight, Chu Yunliu could have easily suppressed him with spiritual power, but he hadn't. He'd only used it to protect himself. It showed that Chu Yunliu was genuinely a good person.

Watching Qi Wuyu leave, Liu Nanzhou asked Chu Yunliu, "Why didn't you use spiritual energy when fighting him?"

Chu Yunliu was taken aback—he hadn't even considered it. He waved a hand dismissively. "Pfft, he doesn't have any spiritual power. Why would I bother competing with him on that level? Letting him hit me a few times doesn't hurt."

Liu Nanzhou clasped his hands and bowed respectfully. Chu Yunliu was startled.

"I'll go help him," Liu Nanzhou said.

After Liu Nanzhou left, Chu Yunliu collected himself and said to Mo Chen, baffled, "Did both master and disciple take the wrong medicine today?"

Mo Chen offered no opinion.

The morning mist had long since dissipated. Dew clung to the stone steps, dampening patches of moss. Liu Nanzhou stepped onto the stairs and saw Qi Wuyu tending the fire.

"Master."

Hearing his voice, Qi Wuyu looked up. "Why are you here?"

"To help."

Liu Nanzhou added firewood for Qi Wuyu and asked casually, "Master, these past couple of days..."

Qi Wuyu sighed. "I've been a bit irritable, right?"

Liu Nanzhou fell silent for a moment. He hadn't really noticed it himself; Qi Wuyu always seemed quite patient with him.

"Ah, I don't know what's going on either. Do you think it's the heat here? That shouldn't be it—I've been carrying the Bishui Pearl with me, and I don't feel hot anymore."

Liu Nanzhou: "...I don't know. Maybe have Master Chu take a look?"

"Alright." Qi Wuyu ladled the cooked noodles into bowls. "Let's eat first."

It had been a long time since Chu Yunliu had eaten such home-cooked meals. Over the past few days, being fed by Qi Wuyu, he'd gained several pounds. After the meal, they cleaned up the dishes, and Liu Nanzhou brought Qi Wuyu to find Chu Yunliu.

Chu Yunliu wagged a finger at him. "See? I told you you've been irritable lately!"

Qi Wuyu frowned. "Just get on with it. Must you talk so much?"

Chu Yunliu became even more certain and pointed at him again, turning to Liu Nanzhou. "See what I mean? I only said one thing, and he's already impatient."

Qi Wuyu fell silent and extended his wrist. Chu Yunliu placed his fingers on the pulse, closed his eyes, and examined it for a good while.

Qi Wuyu glanced left and right, unable to hold back. "Are you actually capable or not?"

Chu Yunliu opened his eyes, seeming to hesitate. "Brother Qi, it seems... you've been poisoned..."

Qi Wuyu: "?"

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Author's Note: Qi Wuyu: Quack doctor.

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I'm back (on my knees). Not sure if anyone else can sense it, but I feel like there's some sweetness in this chapter [perked-up bunny ears].

We've hit a thousand collections! I'm over the moon [throws confetti]! Thank you all for your support! To celebrate, I'll be giving out red envelopes in the comments for this chapter [kisses].