Estranged - Chapter 116

Changming had been like a beacon for Yun Weisi for a long time.

He was someone who made people look up to him and inspired them, as he had always obtained what he wanted through his unyielding determination.

Even if Yun Weisi seized Changming, he knew that he would be unable to restrain Changming.

Were the words Changming had said partially because they had spent all day together after he had lost his memories, or was it also because Changming still had some room for Yun Weisi in his heart?

While Yun Weisi was sober, he still could not think straight.

He knew that his Demonic heart had never wandered too far away.

Once reignited by a single spark, his Demonic heart would erupt anew with raging flames, akin to a boundless stretch of plains catching fire and turning into a blazing sea. He would plunge into the depths of hell, and be doomed for eternity.

Have you thought about the consequences of this?

Yun Weisi asked Changming in his thoughts.

You can not snatch away hope from someone you have given it to.

Yun Weisi did not say it out loud, and only looked wordlessly at Changming who had tightly grabbed onto his arm, and endured the suffering this action caused.

The latter seemed to be doing this to remedy the fox poison that was forcing him to stay away from his “shixiong”.

At that moment, Jiufang Changming had lost his ethereal aloofness and tranquil demeanor, openly demonstrating the whole gamut of human feelings. He was still not a person to bother about trifles, and had his goals in clear sight, but Yun Weisi could see through his “flaws”.

Changming had a sweet tooth, but not to the point of being addicted to sweets. He just liked glutinous-rice dumplings with peanut fillings more than the ones with sesame seeds.

He used to caress the hem of his garments subconsciously while thinking.

Although he was a cultivator, Jiufang Changming loved reading books. It was a deep-rooted habit. He enjoyed studying the ways of every school of thought, in order to adopt their strong points and discard their shortcomings. He did not even care about genres. Even if it was a small wooden writing tablet with miscellaneous notes that had been written by a famous scholar from the common people, he would still read it with keen interest.

Perhaps, Jiufang Changming from the past had the same character traits, but he would have never shown them so openly.

In the past, he was like a fleeting cloud that could neither be touched nor detained, that flew far away with the wind and rose up beyond the skies. This cloud could disperse at any moment, or descend to the human world again.

However, whether it was in the past, the present, or the future, Yun Weisi noticed every small detail about him.

Maybe, Jiufang Changming would never understand it, but he would never have a chance to reverse the fact that he had reached out to Yun Weisi now.

Yun Weisi seized the opportunity and let Changming fall into his embrace, looking at Changming’s expression, which was becoming more obviously twisted with pain. But Yun Weisi did not let him go this time.

“Pretend to look weaker again,” Yun Weisi whispered in Changming’s ear.

Understanding the hidden meaning behind Yun Weisi’s words, Jiufang Changming barely managed to concentrate despite the poison flaring up.

“Jiang Li is still watching us from the threshold.”

After traveling a hundred years into the past, and with the knowledge that Jiang Li was responsible for pulling the strings from behind the scenes, Yun Weisi could hardly stop himself from associating this Hongluo case with Jiang Li. Whether this man was the real Jiang Li or Luomei, from Yun Weisi’s point of view, both of them were closely linked to that conspiracy.

The master of a glorious clan had suddenly changed his looks to become a doctor in some small town. This fact itself was beyond suspicious.

Their enemy was in the light, while they were in the dark. Now, the advantage was on their side.

Yun Weisi wanted to make it appear as if he and Changming were two cultivators who had just happened to travel through Hongluo by chance, and make their meeting look as random as possible in Jiang Li’s eyes, thus lowering the latter’s guard.

As Jiang Li was looking at them, Yun Weisi carried Changming on his back without looking back, and they slowly left the medicine shop.

“Is there anything wrong with the bell he gave you?” Changming whispered in his ear.

His breath warmed Yun Weisi’s ear.

“Bells of One Mind are communication treasures that disciples use to get in touch with each other while traveling to gain. It’s just a common tool, there’s nothing special about it,” Yun Weisi said.

This was the reason why he had accepted the bell. It would have been strange for him to decline the gift.

They were talking quietly, so that no one else could hear them. After getting far enough from the hall, Yun Weisi felt that something was not right.

Changming noticed this as well.

“We’ve already passed by that grain store.”

The snowfall was heavy, so few people went out even though it was day and bright outside. The entire town had been buried under an endless sea of white snow, and the shops on either side of the street looked almost identical. However, the same “Selling Rice” shop sign could not have appeared twice on the same street.

“Put me down,” Changming said.

His voice was no longer trembling, so the fox poison must have receded a great deal.

Yun Weisi also looked around. It was still the same street, and they could see the medicine shop if they turned back. The only difference was that Jiang Li, the shopkeeper, and the assistant had already disappeared. The long and narrow street was so quiet that it seemed to have been abandoned a long time ago, and not a trace of a person could be discerned. Even the withered grass near the road, half-buried under the snow, looked hopelessly doomed.

Changming lowered his head. They had already stepped on the bricks under his feet, as he remembered that the right corner of one of the bricks was missing. It looked the same now, and the outline with an unfilled corner seemed no different from that in his memories.

“We’ve encountered ghosts building walls,” Yun Weisi said.

Ghosts building walls: going in rounds despite knowing the way

This type of trap, ghosts building walls, was not necessarily maintained by ghosts. However, since it could capture cultivators, it was surely not some common “ghosts building walls”.

This person, Jiang Li, was indeed suspicious!

Yun Weisi and Changming looked at each other without saying anything, but tacitly confirmed that the probability of Jiang Li being the one behind the murders in Hongluo was very high.

To break through ghosts building walls, one had to find a gap first, just like one had to find an opening in a formation to ruin it.

While studying in the Yuhuang Daoist Temple, Yun Weisi had been wholeheartedly devoted to cultivation, and had never explored other subjects. As such, he had never learned Changming’s skills in breaking formations. Only after spending countless days on the Void Shore of the Nine Layers of the Abyss, faced with its constantly changing shifts, did he gain some insights about alternative routes.

He only needed to raise his hand, and many golden rays of light flew off in every direction, just like a constellation or an exploding firework. After the blinding light died down, the scene in front of their eyes changed.

The street was still the same, but the atmosphere had changed. Noise and vitality had returned to the town.

To their surprise, even though they left the medicine shop when it was daylight, it was already nighttime now.

A shrill shriek came from up ahead.

It had come from the direction of the medicine shop!

Yun Weisi and Changming hurried to the source of the noise.

Several people had already gathered around the doors of the medicine shop, attracted here by the fuss. Everyone was a bit frightened, so no one dared to come closer.

“Quick, report this incident! Ask constable Xing to come over!”

“Where’s the shopkeeper’s daughter? Call for their family!”

“What a pity! Shopkeeper Liu is so kind and charitable—how could this happen? Indeed, no good deed goes unpunished!”

“Even if this is a ghost’s doing, it should have happened to a bad person! Why kill someone this good? Nowadays, even death knows no justice!”

“Be quiet!”

Changming and Yun Weisi pushed through the crowd to get closer, and soon saw the shopkeeper with his assistant lying down in a pool of blood. They were no longer breathing. Their necks and hands had scratches just like the one on the back of Changming’s hand, so fox spirits were obviously to blame.

Jiang Li was nowhere to be found.

“Sure enough, doctor Jiang has been abducted by monsters!” The bystanders were all talking at once, expressing their concerns for Jiang Li’s safety.

From this, one could see how well-regarded Jiang Li was. No one even thought of suspecting him of committing the murder.

The situation in the town had been quite restless recently, so people knew that the owner of the shop had already left for Shangzhou with his family. Since then, only three people had been working in the medicine hall: the shopkeeper, his assistant, and doctor Jiang.

Now, two of them had been found dead, Jiang Li had gone missing, and yet another terrifying unresolved murder case had happened in the town.

“Constable Xing arrived!”

“Constable Xing is here!”

The crowd moved aside, clearing a path for the constable. A middle-aged man dressed in the clothes of an official walked through the crowd with two subordinates. As soon as he saw Yun Weisi and Changming, his expression changed, as if he had been confronted with a mortal enemy.

“Are you Yun Weisi and Jiufang Changming?” Surprisingly, he knew their names.

“Yes.”

Constable Xing’s expression was grave. He retreated half a step back, and tightly grasped the hilt of the weapon on his waist.

“The head of the He family has reported a case to the yamen, and gave evidence that you killed his daughter and guardians—thirteen people altogether. Please, follow me to the yamen.”

The crowd erupted into an uproar.

People who had been standing near the two of them had suddenly learned that they were standing close to a pair of possible criminals and quickly jumped away one after another, as if afraid to be infected by their filth. They recalled the devastating murder cases that had taken place during these several days, and subconsciously decided that the two man were related to the rampaging demons and ghosts. The least courageous ones simply turned away and ran, not even daring to look back at this lively scene.

Yun Weisi’s expression sank.

Constable Xing took another step back.

He had already resolutely decided that the two of them were the murderers, and was afraid that they would start attacking people at the slightest provocation.

Constable Xing had been cultivating in some sect for several years, so he could guess whether a person was a cultivator. Surely, he was a lot more capable than a commoner, but faced with an actual cultivator, he was still an amateur swinging an ax in front of Lu Ban. He clearly understood how formidable cultivators were, so he did not dare act without careful consideration, and his intonation was as calm as possible.

Swinging an ax in front of Lu Ban: teaching fish to swim

He stared at them without blinking, and did not move his line of sight at all, waiting for their expressions to change and betray some clues.

The two men were impeccably clean from head to toe, just like any of the other cultivators he had met. They did not get stained with blood while killing and treated people like ants.

For cultivators, or even more so demonic cultivators who could not tell good apart from evil, these few common people from Hongluo meant nothing to them, and cultivators like these could just kill them without a second thought. But constable Xing refused to let it go. This town had originally been very peaceful, and he could not let anyone else disturb its peace. Even if he was no match for these cultivators, there were others behind his back who would apprehend them.

“Sirs, this Xing has no intention of offending you, but my immediate superior has prohibited anyone from killing the innocent people of Hongluo. This Xing is only following this order. Please, don’t make it difficult for me. If you have anything to say, please talk to my superior.”

“We haven’t killed anyone.”

Certainly, Old He had witnessed the fox spirit and the nightmare demon kill people and take over his daughter’s body. Why would he suddenly proclaim Yun Weisi and Changming to be the culprits?

Could it be that he had been possessed by a fox spirit, and they had failed to notice this?

No, that was practically impossible. Yun Weisi was absolutely sure that fox spirits and nightmare demons could not hide from him, especially when they were right under his nose. Although these demons were rather skillful, they were not his opponents. They could only try to hide their tracks and conceal themselves by running away. However, it was possible that someone was manipulating their actions.

Or perhaps everything was related to Jiang Li?

Yun Weisi seemed indifferent, but his thoughts were running wild, many ideas flashing through his mind all at once. However, he did not manage to draw a conclusion from all this.

Constable Xing insisted: “Sirs, are you the culprits? Please, come with me to the town supervisor, and clarify what has happened. I’m not in a position to decide.”

According to Old He’s testimony, these two men boarded his carriage half way to Hongluo, and followed the former all the way to the town. The accident had taken place the night they arrived. Now the medicine shop had been massacred, and the two of them had appeared immediately. This coincidence was beyond suspicious.

He knew he was no match for the two cultivators, so he silently put his hand down. A bell appeared in his palm, and constable Xing held it tightly.

Yun Weisi saw him do it.

No doubt, this was a Bell of One Mind, a communication treasure of the Wanjian Immortal Clan.

As soon as he clenched his fist over the bell, another one would make a signal.

Jiang Li had disappeared, so who was constable Xing going to call for? It could not possibly be Jiang Li?

At first, Yun Weisi was going to turn around and leave together with Changming, but he was not in a hurry after seeing the Bell of One Mind.

He wanted to know who was the person backing constable Xing.

Just how many mysteries were hidden in Hongluo?

…

Sun Wuxia looked to the left, and then to the right. His eyes were wandering from his shishu He Bo to daoyou Chi.

The two of them were at daggers drawn and bows bent, but Sun Wuxia could not tell who was lying, and who was telling the truth.

He Bo saw that he was hesitating, so he quickly said, as if afraid that Sun Wuxia would be bewitched: “You came up our mountain when you were five. You were feeble, and everyone said that since your spiritual roots were constricted, you were not fit for cultivation. But your shifu insisted on accepting you as a disciple. I was also present that day. When you bowed to your shifu, you fainted because of stress.”

Sun Wuxia quivered. A demon disguised as his shishu could not have known such details.

He turned to daoyou Chi.

She was still calm, and said unhurriedly: “I’m from the Wanxiang Palace, a distant relative of Princess Changning. Come to think of it, I’m also related to daoyou Sun. This time, by coming to Shangzhou with Princess Changning, I was going to visit the Qianlin Assembly in passing, so our destinations coincided.”

The Wanxiang Palace had always been shrouded in mystery. Sun Wuxia never knew she was a part of this mysterious sect, so he revealed a surprised look.

“Daoyou Chi, do you remember the sword you gave away?”

“Of course I do. Although this sword has no name, it is one of the most valuable treasures of the Wanxiang Palace. I was sure that person would fail to summon it, and back out of an awkward situation. Yet, contrary to my expectations, he managed to draw the sword. Obviously, this is fate. They were destined to meet,” daoyou Chi smiled.

Sun Wuxia felt uncomfortable. He could only fold his hands helplessly when it came to this sword, but the other man turned out to be the person fated to draw this sword. This meant that Sun Wuxia had lost to him.

Since daoyou Chi knew so much about this matter, she must not be a fake.

He Bo stamped his foot.

“Why are you still hesitating? She’s obviously a disguised fox spirit! When I was leaving, daoyou Chi was with Princess Changning, how could she have teleported here?”

Daoyou Chi was neither angered nor frightened. After He Bo finished talking, she purged herself of this charge.

“I stumbled upon daoyou He after leaving. He saw you running away, but could not stop you, so he asked me to bring you back. But I was also interested in searching for the fox spirit, so I followed you here. Let’s learn who is a demon and who is a ghost by testing each other!”

After saying this, she moved her finger lightly, and a ray of sparkling light landed on He Bo’s clothes. He Bo had no time to avoid the attack, so blue flames enveloped his body quickly.

He Bo screamed. He pulled out all his spiritual treasures, but could not put out the blue flames despite that. It only blazed on more dazzlingly, which looked a bit odd.

“Look, obviously, he’s a ghost. Only ghosts have ghost fires.”

Sun Wuxia was frightened. He pulled at daoyou Chi and retreated a few steps back.

“Sun Wuxia, quickly get away from the demon!”

Even amidst the blue flames, He Bo still refused to give up. With a sinister expression, he charged towards the two of them. Daoyou Chi waved her sleeve, and an invisible barrier was erected in front of them. He Bo crashed against it and fell back, curling on the ground in agony.

He could no longer say anything, but his expression was remorseful as he looked at Sun Wuxia.

The more Sun Wuxia looked, the stranger he felt. Just as he was going to go nearer and take a closer look, he realized that the woman standing next to him had grabbed his hand. Her hand was as if it was a chain made of ice, and he could not get rid of the grip.

His heart fell. He turned around abruptly, and saw that the young woman’s exquisite face had been distorted with an eerie smile. Her eyes had turned red, and she was staring at He Bo, who was burning in blue flames.

“Look at the fire. It can devour anything in this world. Isn’t it even better than the Three True Flames and the Fire of Retribution of the Red Lotus?”