TM CH17

Chapter 17 Night Chat in the Rain

The ‘wildly imaginative house’ looked dilapidated. The interior was devoid of any aesthetic appeal, merely something crudely ‘pieced together,’ but it was still a little better than a leaky ship’s cabin.

Looking at the makeshift ‘outer walls’ that were at least three layers thick, Rong Qi was once again struck by Gu Yunxing’s terrifying ability with his hands.

That evening, the two of them moved into the ‘new house.’

The small house had no windows, and the inside was extremely dim. Rong Qi no longer bothered to hide his night blindness. In front of Gu Yunxing, he picked up a burning branch from the fire and walked inside.

He walked through the narrow passage, stepped over the cramped ‘doorway,’ using the firelight to avoid the debris on the ground.

The house quickly came to an end. At the deepest part was a triangular area formed by the natural rock walls. The ground beneath his feet changed from soft soil to solid rock.

After a while, Gu Yunxing entered as well.

Rong Qi sat cross-legged on the ground, the warm yellow light from the fire casting a soft glow on his face, giving him an air of gentle docility.

At that moment, a gust of wind blew through the gaps, and the rising black smoke twisted its way into their noses, causing both of them to cough uncontrollably.

Gu Yunxing furrowed his brows and gestured for Rong Qi to put out the torch.

Rong Qi hesitated for a moment.

Gu Yunxing helplessy said, “Right Protector Rong, are you trying to suffocate yourself in here?”

“I don’t need you to say more.” Despite his unwillingness, Rong Qi still extinguished the torch. He adjusted to the sudden darkness, but before he could settle, a gust of wind swept by his ear. Rong Qi quickly raised his hand to block it and found it was the rabbit fur blanket. He wrapped it around himself and lay back against the rocks.

Gu Yunxing: “Move in a little.”

Rong Qi was taken aback. After realizing the meaning behind the words, he hesitated for a moment, then silently shifted closer.

Soon, Gu Yunxing lay down beside him.

Rong Qi uncomfortably shifted his position, only to find that halfway through, the stone wall on the other side blocked him. He turned back, nudging Gu Yunxing with his elbow. “Move over a bit.”

Gu Yunxing remained still. “There’s likely a heavy rain coming tonight. Any further out is just muddy ground.”

Rong Qi was surprised. “You can even tell that?”

Gu Yunxing: “There were clouds gathering in the evening, and the wind by the sea is strong. It will most likely rain tonight.”

Rong Qi’s heart sank.

Gu Yunxing seemed to sense something from his silence and reassured him, “Don’t worry. We’re deep in the cliff, we won’t get wet.”

It couldn’t possibly be worse than last time.

Gu Yunxing suddenly sighed.

Rong Qi, close enough, clearly heard it. “What are you sighing about?”

Gu Yunxing: “In the deep of the night, it’s hard to avoid having all sorts of worries.”

Rong Qi curled his lip. “There are only two of us here. The night is deep, but whether it’s quiet or not, that’s up to you and me, isn’t it?”

“True.” Gu Yunxing chuckled softly and sat down beside him. “How about we talk?”

Rong Qi shot him a glance. “What’s there to talk about between us?”

Gu Yunxing: “For example, we could think about how to get out of here.”

Rong Qi yawned. “The sea is vast. For now, our only option is to wait for your people to find us. At this point, we can’t rely on ourselves.”

As he spoke, Rong Qi closed his eyes. He had spent half the night on the road and been busy for a long time during the day, so he was already exhausted.

Gu Yunxing heard the fatigue in his voice and didn’t say anything further.

In the dead of night, the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance.

Lightning split the sky. Through the gaps in the wooden logs, the sudden white light flickered for just an instant. Then, the soft patter of rain began, merging with the roaring waves by the sea, creating a deafening sound of crashing water. The sound of a torrential storm was everywhere, and it seemed as if there was no other sound between heaven and earth.

In the Jiangnan region, such a magnificent downpour was rare.

Rong Qi, who had already been overtaken by drowsiness, was half asleep when, suddenly, the sound of thunder jolted him awake.

The wooden house quickly became saturated with heavy moisture, and the air was filled with the smell of damp earth. Shocked by the sudden change in weather, he couldn’t help but nudge the person beside him. “Gu Yunxing, are you awake?”

Gu Yunxing was already awake. Living alongside a venomous snake naturally required constant vigilance, especially one he wasn’t sure he could tame. Therefore, he woke up as soon as Rong Qi moved.

A thunderclap rang out in the distance.

Inside, Sect Master Gu sighed quietly. Natural disasters and man-made calamities were often like this.

Seeing that Gu Yunxing didn’t respond, Rong Qi tugged at his sleeve and lowered his voice. “Gu Yunxing?”

Was he really asleep?

In the darkness, Gu Yunxing turned his head to examine the person who had drawn so close. The other seemed to be straining his eyes to see him, which made him look rather… dim-witted.

As Rong Qi moved even closer, Gu Yunxing spoke, “Right Protector Rong.”

Rong Qi blinked. “So you were pretending to be asleep after all.”

Gu Yunxing: “……”

Outside, the thunder rumbled loudly. Rong Qi completely lost his desire to sleep. He turned to face Gu Yunxing and said, “I heard that before Fang Yuanqing set sail, he visited the Tianji Sect and sparred three times with Cangyuan Sword, Gu Shuiliu. The first two matches ended in one win and one loss, but in the final match, he lost by half a move, which led him to flee far away to foreign lands.” He paused, his tone filled with curiosity. “Is that true?”

Gu Yunxing: “False.”

Rong Qi thought for a moment. “Fang Yuanqing became the number one martial artist at the age of thirty. He doesn’t seem like someone who would lose.”

Gu Yunxing answered coldly, “There was no back-and-forth of wins and losses, just three consecutive defeats.”

Rong Qi: “……”

Gu Yunxing: “The Tianyuan Manual is powerful, but it comes with great costs. Some cultivation method, even at their peak, are ultimately unsustainable. If Fang Yuanqing had remained active in the jianghu longer, allowing people to see the consequences of practicing the Tianyuan Manual to its peak, perhaps no one would be coveting this book now.”

Rong Qi, who had ‘coveted’ the book, sneered. “If Gu Shuiliu were truly that strong, how has Tianji Sect remained isolated in a corner for decades?” He knew Gu Shuiliu was Gu Yunxing’s mother, and he didn’t entirely believe Gu Yunxing’s words.

Gu Yunxing: “Whether or not to enter the world is simply a choice.”

“Choice?” Rong Qi repeated the word, as though finding it amusing. In the jianghu, some people could hardly move a step, while others stood aside, as if they were mere onlookers.

“Unfortunately, Sect Master Gu has no choice now.” Rong Qi coldly described their current situation, “Whether it’s you or me, we can only curl up in this dilapidated cave, with no response from the heavens or the earth.” The cave wasn’t even complete. Entering the world? It seemed there wasn’t even a path out.

Gu Yunxing remained silent for a long time. “What Right Protector Rong said suits this bleak and stormy night quite well.”

Rong Qi shifted and turned over, coldly laughing. “What, do you find my words unpleasant?”

Gu Yunxing smiled but didn’t answer.

Rong Qi generously chose not to argue, but then moved slightly. It seemed that since he lay down, he had been making small movements non-stop.

The two were lying very close to each other, so Gu Yunxing naturally noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Rong Qi snapped, “You’re sleeping on the outside, so naturally you wouldn’t understand. It’s hard for me to even turn over on the inside.”

Gu Yunxing shifted a few inches outward.

However, those few inches didn’t make much difference for Rong Qi. He tossed and turned several times, eventually settling on his side, facing Gu Yunxing.

The rain outside poured down heavily, making the world appear even more desolate.

Rong Qi’s breathing was shallow but steady. Gu Yunxing knew he hadn’t fallen asleep yet.

On such a stormy night, it was indeed hard to sleep.

“It seems you and Fang Lian truly share a deep bond. I’ve only heard that the leader of the Tianji Sect and the leader of the Wulin Alliance were on good terms, but I didn’t expect you were such close friends who would lay down your lives for each other.”

Gu Yunxing: “He once saved my life.”

Rong Qi: “The all-powerful Sect Master Gu still need saving?”

Gu Yunxing shook his head. “I wouldn’t call myself all-powerful. Everyone has their times of misfortune.”

Rong Qi, considering their current situation, curled his lip. “That’s true enough.”

Gu Yunxing: “Shuhuai is an upright and open person, like a clear breeze after rain. I don’t understand his ambition to save the world, but if he’s in trouble, I will naturally save him.”

Shuhuai? Rong Qi realized that must be Fang Lian’s courtesy name.

“Just a life-saving favor?” Rong Qi asked. “But I’ve heard that his sister, Fang Ruoyao, is completely devoted to you.”

Gu Yunxing’s eyelids twitched. “…It seems Right Protector Rong is quite interested in this matter?”

Rong Qi shrugged. “Nothing else to do, just curious.”

Gu Yunxing: “……”

Rong Qi felt sorry for him. “If it were the young lady of the Fang family stranded here with you, Sect Master Gu wouldn’t have to just stare blankly at me.”

Again?

Gu Yunxing chuckled softly. “She’s just a little girl. But as for the Right Protector…” He trailed off, as if considering something.

“Me?” Rong Qi furrowed his brows, then his expression turned strange.

Gu Yunxing spoke slowly, “With this humble Gu’s crippled leg, it wouldn’t be appropriate to have a young lady carry this humble Gu over mountains and valleys.”

Rong Qi was stunned, then his face darkened. So this guy thought it would be more convenient to order him around!

Gu Yunxing: “This is the second time you’ve brought up Miss Fang in our conversation.”

Rong Qi dismissed it nonchalantly. “The maids from Lihuo Palace often like to gossip. Besides Miss Fang Ruoyao, there’s also Qin Zhiyin from Yishan Sect, and the Lotus Protector from Feihua Hall…” He suddenly had an idea, his eyes lighting up. “Now that you’re stranded at sea, do you think any of them will come looking for you?”

Gu Yunxing: “Just rumors in the jianghu. I only met them once. But Yishan Sect and Tianji Sect have always been on good terms, so perhaps they’ll send some help.”

Rong Qi was somewhat disappointed. “Only met once? Then they probably won’t bother to search for you.”

Gu Yunxing: “A relationship requires give and take to last. Right Protector Rong, it’s time for me to ask you something.”

Rong Qi: “…What do you want to know?”

Gu Yunxing: “Zou Yuchuan, who has mastered the Lihuo Sword Technique over ten years ago, is already a martial arts expert. Why is he still after the Tianyuan Manual?”

The question seemed abrupt, shifting suddenly from romantic affairs to this, inevitably dampening one’s interest.

Rong Qi’s tone cooled a few degrees. “You’ve asked the wrong person. I’m not him, so how could I know?”

Someone who was taught by his own mother would naturally not understand that there’s another kind of master-disciple relationship in the world.

Zou Yuchuan had never been one to be open with his disciples. Whatever he plotted, he only needed his disciples to carry it out. If they couldn’t, new disciples would be found to do so.

Gu Yunxing, receiving no answer, changed the subject. “What would you do if you couldn’t find the Tianyuan Manual?”

Rong Qi’s voice grew colder. “That’s none of your business.”

The sound of the wind and rain outside grew louder, while the room inside fell silent.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the breathing beside him became steady and slow.

Gu Yunxing sighed. “So now you can sleep?”

As expected of someone from the demon palace. Even when being questioned, they could play tricks.