Chapter 31

Chapter 31

They each went back to their own rooms. It was already late at night. Liu Nanzhou had just finished bathing and used a burst of spiritual energy to dry his hair. He was about to go to bed when he suddenly heard a strange noise from next door—Qi Wuyu's room.

Liu Nanzhou grabbed his outer robe, threw it on, and went to knock on Qi Wuyu's door. He knocked twice, but there was no answer.

Liu Nanzhou called out, "Shizun? Are you alright? I'm coming in."

He pushed the door open and saw Qi Wuyu seated in meditation on the small couch. The teacup that had been on the table lay shattered on the floor, along with pieces of a vase.

Liu Nanzhou rushed over. Qi Wuyu didn't look good: his brows were tightly furrowed, he was breathing rapidly, and his robe was disheveled at the collar, revealing his collarbone. He could just make out scratch marks on his neck.

It was rare for Liu Nanzhou to see Qi Wuyu in deep meditation. He crouched down, reached for Qi Wuyu's wrist and gave it a little shake. "Shizun."

Qi Wuyu was still clearly in distress, seemingly struggling to suppress something. Liu Nanzhou withdrew his hand, closed his eyes, and drew a wisp of Divine Sense from between his brows, entering Qi Wuyu's Spiritual Platform.

He'd expected to meet resistance, as the Spiritual Platform was a person's most vital place, but surprisingly, he entered with ease.

Qi Wuyu's Spiritual Platform was vast and empty, a boundless expanse of white. Only a sword exuding a bitter cold—the Frostwind Sword—hung suspended within. Liu Nanzhou caught a faint scent of frost and snow.

He could roughly guess that the Frostwind Sword was likely Qi Wuyu's life-bound sword. But he didn't understand: how could someone with Qi Wuyu's lively temperament possess a sword so utterly different from his nature? Yet, every time Qi Wuyu held that sword, it seemed perfectly fitting.

In that instant, Liu Nanzhou felt as if he had never truly known Qi Wuyu.

He suddenly understood why Qi Wuyu seldom meditated—entering deep meditation required constant introspection, continuously circulating spiritual power, refining the Spiritual Core, and questioning one's own Dao.

In such a vast, empty place... Qi Wuyu, who loved excitement so much...

Without a Spiritual Core, even if one knew which Dao to follow, what use was it? In the end, it was just empty talk, a futile exercise. Why bother asking repeatedly?

Liu Nanzhou suddenly felt a pang in his heart. A flash of red passed through his eyes, but he suppressed it.

At that moment, a chaotic surge of fierce winds arose within Qi Wuyu's Spiritual Platform, lashing like whips and carrying fire, as if blowing from a volcano.

Liu Nanzhou was swept up by the gale. Using the force, he flipped and retreated two steps to stabilize himself and avoid being blown over. After all, this was only a wisp of his Divine Sense, with limited spiritual power. Yet, the wind within Qi Wuyu's Spiritual Platform continued to rage endlessly and chaotically.

Liu Nanzhou formed hand seals, trying to suppress the wind, and shouted, "Shizun!"

Qi Wuyu's brow twitched. The chaotic energies inside him subsided, and within his own Spiritual Platform, he saw Liu Nanzhou.

Qi Wuyu cried out in alarm, "How did you get in here? Get out!"

Liu Nanzhou refused. "I'll help you."

Qi Wuyu didn't waste words. The Frostwind Sword answered his call. With one swing of the sword, Liu Nanzhou was swept out of Qi Wuyu's Spiritual Platform.

Liu Nanzhou's eyes snapped open. He hurriedly searched for the medicine Chu Yunliu had given Qi Wuyu and made him take it. Qi Wuyu's brow relaxed slightly. When Liu Nanzhou tried to re-enter Qi Wuyu's Spiritual Platform, he found he couldn't. He dared not force his way in, fearing he might injure Qi Wuyu, so he withdrew.

"Shizun..."

Liu Nanzhou had no choice but to guard Qi Wuyu from the outside, channeling spiritual power to help him suppress the frenzied energy.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qi Wuyu's breathing gradually steadied, his body covered in a thin layer of sweat. Liu Nanzhou looked at him, uncomfortably rubbed his nose, turned his head away, and quickly reached out to straighten Qi Wuyu's collar. His fingertips brushed against Qi Wuyu's skin as if scalded, and he jerked his hand back, his whole body tensing. He turned back to find Qi Wuyu still hadn't regained consciousness, and only then did he slowly let out a sigh of relief.

After another cup of tea's worth of time, Qi Wuyu finally woke up. He opened his eyes to see Liu Nanzhou standing by the window, back turned to him. The scattered teacup fragments had already been cleaned up.

Qi Wuyu opened his mouth to speak but found his throat terribly hoarse. He cleared it, and Liu Nanzhou turned at the sound, rushing over.

"Shizun, you're awake!"

Qi Wuyu said hoarsely, "Get me some water."

Liu Nanzhou immediately handed him the water from the side. Qi Wuyu took a sip; the temperature was just right.

"How did you get here?"

"I heard noise from your room. You didn't answer when I knocked, so I was worried something had happened and came in to check," Liu Nanzhou explained, then asked, "What exactly happened?"

Qi Wuyu was silent for a moment before saying, "It was the poison flaring up, but this time was strange." He recalled, "I felt even more agitated, as if something was burning inside me."

He had been in great distress at the time, suddenly finding everything irritating. He had thrown the teacup, smashed the vase, and wanted to go out and pick a fight. Sensing something was wrong, he immediately forced himself into meditation. The frost and snow within his Spiritual Platform washed over him, helping him regain some composure.

Thinking of this, Qi Wuyu looked up at Liu Nanzhou, somewhat annoyed. "Since when can you just barge into someone else's Spiritual Platform? And using your Divine Sense? Aren't you afraid your Divine Sense might get trapped inside and never come out? Or what if it shatters in there?"

Barging into another's Spiritual Platform without cause was extremely dangerous. At best, one could be swept out like he just was; at worst, one could be directly trapped inside by the Spiritual Platform's owner. Moreover, Qi Wuyu's Spiritual Platform had been in chaos at the time. If Liu Nanzhou had been accidentally caught up in it, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Liu Nanzhou lowered his head, lost in thought, and only said, "You didn't stop me." He looked into Qi Wuyu's eyes. "You knew it was me."

Qi Wuyu: "..."

He had sensed Liu Nanzhou's aura and subconsciously let him in.

Qi Wuyu suddenly felt a bit melancholy. It seemed he had no upper or lower limits when it came to Liu Nanzhou.

No, he had to be a principled Shizun!

Qi Wuyu straightened his expression and was about to speak when he noticed Liu Nanzhou was still looking at him. His amber eyes held a few scattered glints of light as he said softly, "Shizun... I was just worried about you. I won't do it again."

Qi Wuyu: "..."

Fine. He had no principles.

Who taught him to act so coquettishly?

Having been stymied twice in a row, Qi Wuyu felt a surge of frustrated anger. The more he looked at Liu Nanzhou, the more stifled he felt, yet he couldn't bring himself to utter a single harsh word. He turned his head toward the wall, closed his eyes, rolled them in exasperation, then turned back. "It's getting late. You should go back and rest. I'm fine now."

Liu Nanzhou didn't move. Qi Wuyu softened his tone. "Really."

Liu Nanzhou just kept looking at him.

Qi Wuyu held his gaze for two seconds before conceding defeat. "My ancestor, what else do you want?"

Liu Nanzhou said, "I want to take another look."

Qi Wuyu: "?"

Qi Wuyu didn't understand. What was there to see in his broken Spiritual Platform besides a broken sword and nothing else?

But Liu Nanzhou stood there, clearly adopting a stance of not leaving until he had seen for himself. Qi Wuyu sighed silently.

Who on earth did this stubborn temper come from?!

He sat up straight. The wound on his neck rubbed against his collar, causing a twinge of pain. Qi Wuyu touched his neck, somewhat surprised. He hadn't thought he'd scratched that hard, yet he'd broken the skin.

Noticing his movement, Liu Nanzhou placed his hand beside Qi Wuyu's neck, using spiritual power to heal the wound. Looking at these injuries, his expression grew even more serious. "Let me check."

Qi Wuyu felt rather awkward but knew Liu Nanzhou was concerned, so he agreed. He grabbed the collar of Liu Nanzhou's robe, pulling him down. "Go ahead, look."

Caught off guard by the pull, Liu Nanzhou almost bumped his forehead against Qi Wuyu's. He steadied himself, and his Divine Sense once again probed into Qi Wuyu's Spiritual Platform. This time, there was no scent of frost and snow inside, but it remained a vast white expanse. The chaotic fierce winds had calmed, and the poison had been suppressed.

Liu Nanzhou took the hint and backed off.

Qi Wuyu gave him a shove: "Satisfied now? Now scram."

Liu Nanzhou took a step back, lowering his head: "Shizun, why is this poison getting worse? Master Chu's medicine doesn't last long. What if your condition worsens next time?"

Qi Wuyu pressed his lips together: "I can control myself."

Liu Nanzhou nodded: "Alright."

He turned and returned to his own room.

After Liu Nanzhou left, Qi Wuyu lay on the bed thinking for a long time. He feared his worsening condition might turn him into one of those cultivators who suddenly snap and kill—perhaps they were afflicted with the same poison as him.

He had been staying with Liu Nanzhou recently, so how come Liu Nanzhou was fine? And just now, that kid left without saying much. Qi Wuyu narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't right.

He sat up, scanning his spiritual platform but found nothing unusual. He glanced up at the Frostwind Sword but saw nothing out of the ordinary either. Just as he thought he might be overthinking it, he suddenly noticed a tiny, almost imperceptible glimmer of light on the hilt of the Frostwind Sword. It sat there quietly, its presence barely noticeable, yet once seen, it became impossible to ignore—just like someone who had always been by his side.

Qi Wuyu gave a silent, private smile, pretending he hadn't seen anything, and withdrew.

Separated by just a wall, Liu Nanzhou had no idea his little secret had been discovered in under fifteen minutes. It was his first time doing something so sneaky, and his conscience was pricking him. He lay in bed for a long time, unable to sleep, afraid Qi Wuyu would find out and chew him out, thinking he was crazy.

Truthfully, leaving a trace of his Divine Sense in Qi Wuyu's spiritual platform wasn't for any shady reason. He just wanted to detect any abnormalities in time and... keep him company.

The hibiscus flowers in Hibiscus Town were already in full, vibrant bloom. With the window open at night, the floral scent drifted in, making even dreams sweet.

Early the next morning, as dawn was just breaking, Liu Nanzhou was awakened by the sound of a fight. He bolted up and rushed out, seeing Qi Wuyu emerge from his room, which put half his mind at ease.

Leaning against the railing, they watched a fight break out downstairs.

Qi Wuyu found one of the combatants somewhat familiar: "That girl... she seems to be with Chaowu Tian."

"Smack—" With a fierce crack, Chen Qianyu's whip wrapped around her opponent's leg. She pulled hard, and the opponent used the momentum to flip and kick toward her. Chen Qianyu ducked low to evade, deftly retracting her whip before lashing out again.

Watching the confrontation from upstairs, Qi Wuyu was puzzled: "What's she doing here, so far away?" He asked Liu Nanzhou, "Do you remember her?"

Liu Nanzhou nodded: "I remember."

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Author's Note: Had a last-minute meeting, so it's late (kneeling). A sweet chapter [Flop-eared bunny head]. I really enjoy reading everyone's comments—I read each one repeatedly. But now JJ sends notifications for likes too, and getting alerts for every single like is a bit annoying, so I might not like as frequently. Still, I'll keep reading! Thanks for your support [sprinkles flowers][sprinkles flowers].

P.S.: Feel like this chapter might make people mix up the roles. Reiterating: Shizun is the gong, CP is fixed and not reversible [Perked-ear bunny head].