TM CH48

Chapter 48 Eve of Departure from the Island

As usual, a fire had been lit in the cave beforehand. Rong Qi sat off to the side, watching Gu Yunxing skillfully tend the fire and roast the meat. He even conjured up some pots, bowls, and other utensils, leaving Rong Qi in awe.

“Where did you find all this?”

“Some I made in my spare time this afternoon, and some I swiped from Fang Lian,” Gu Yunxing replied without hesitation. “Yan Fan’s cooking is only slightly better than Zhou Shun’s. I figured you probably didn’t eat much since you’re so picky.”

Rong Qi was speechless. It was true that he hadn’t eaten a single bite. But—

“Aren’t you the one who can’t cook?”

Gu Yunxing replied without changing his expression, “You’re the second person to taste my cooking.”

Rong Qi narrowed his eyes. “Who’s the first?”

Gu Yunxing scratched his nose. “Naturally, it was me.”

Rong Qi: “……”

Rong Qi let out a cold sneer and shifted his gaze. While Gu Yunxing was busy, he casually picked up a piece of wood and began carving it with his cilin.

Gu Yunxing was a little surprised. “Since when did you take an interest in carving wood?”

Rong Qi: “I wouldn’t call it an interest. These past few days, I’ve been carving wood every day, and have gained some experience.”

He didn’t tell Gu Yunxing that it was something he had been practicing out of boredom during the nights he couldn’t sleep.

Gu Yunxing watched Rong Qi carefully. His movements were swift, his hands, usually skilled in handling hidden weapons and picking locks, now agile and powerful as he turned the dagger and the wood. The heavy block gradually took shape under his fingers. A few strands of hair slipped from his shoulder, falling beside his stern face, adding a certain pleasant charm to the sight.

After a moment, Rong Qi turned to Gu Yunxing and said, “See? It’s not that difficult.”

Gu Yunxing, lost in thought, glanced down and froze. “A little boat?”

Rong Qi gave it a shake. “Doesn’t it look like one?”

Gu Yunxing didn’t answer.

Seeing his silence, Rong Qi couldn’t help but smile smugly. “Some things just come down to natural talent.”

Gu Yunxing: “……”

The Tianji Sect Master, blessed with incredible talent, for the first time truly felt the sting of unreachable inadequacy.

Gu Yunxing: “When I was young, my mother made me learn carving to help me calm my mind and rid myself of distractions. But I was never good at it. Not only did I fail to calm down, but I often felt annoyed because the things I made were too ugly.”

Rong Qi slowly lowered his hand, listening intently. “What happened next?”

Gu Yunxing sighed deeply. “I just started stabbing at the wood randomly. After half a month, I could pierce a whole block of wood with a single strike.”

Rong Qi: “……”

Gu Yunxing: “Later, she told me to ensure the wood didn’t crack within a hundred strokes.”

Rong Qi: “Why?”

Gu Yunxing smiled awkwardly. “Still to help me calm my mind.”

Rong Qi curled the corner of his mouth. “Well, I suppose she succeeded.”

With that, he picked up the dagger again to etch a flame pattern on the little boat’s hull, finishing with satisfaction.

Unfortunately, Rong Qi’s satisfaction didn’t last long. Gu Yunxing soon claimed the little wooden boat, even shamelessly adding a ripple pattern on the other side of the hull. It was so ugly that Rong Qi almost choked with frustration. From then on, he refused to touch it again.

In the following days, it was as if the two of them had come to an unspoken agreement.

During the day, they worked with the others on the shipbuilding project, exchanging only a few brief words when no one was around. In the evenings, Gu Yunxing would wait by the cave entrance, quietly waiting for Rong Qi to emerge.

Yan Fan’s sleep quality improved day by day. He often overslept, and each time he woke up, he found the cave empty, with only himself remaining. Knowing he was at fault, he became increasingly guilty and uneasy whenever he saw Rong Qi.

Fang Ruoyao remained as carefree as ever, though she had noticed that Gu Yunxing had been waking up earlier each day. Whenever she woke up, either he was already gone, or she found that he had returned with food.

Only Fang Lian’s gaze toward his friend had grown increasingly complicated.

Finally, one night, after Fang Ruoyao had fallen asleep, Fang Lian sat up.

Gu Yunxing glanced at him in surprise. “Aren’t you tired?”

Fang Lian couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself any longer. “If you’ve become close with him, there’s no need to keep avoiding us.”

Gu Yunxing raised an eyebrow. “You figured it out?”

Fang Lian wore an expression that clearly said, “I knew it.”

“Actually, it wasn’t hard to guess. You two were stranded on the east island, supporting each other. You’ve probably formed a bond strong enough to trust your lives to one another.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Although he’s from the demon palace, I’ve never seen him act like a cold, heartless villain toward you.”

Gu Yunxing liked hearing that. He smiled. “You’re not wrong.”

“So, if you two consider each other as close friends, I won’t say anything about it.” Fang Lian furrowed his brow, carefully choosing his words, his expression full of disapproval. “But you don’t need to hide this way, sneaking around every day. It’s not like you at all.”

The more Gu Yunxing listened, the more complicated his expression became. After a long silence, he cleared his throat softly.

Fang Lian: “Did I say something wrong?”

Gu Yunxing: “No.”

Fang Lian glanced at him. “But once we leave the island, if he brings disaster to the Wulin Alliance, I won’t just stand by and watch.”

That was Fang Lian’s final bottom line. He sighed, hoping that by then, Gu Yunxing could come up with a solution that satisfied both sides.

Three days later, everyone gathered by the river, surrounding the nearly completed boat. The wooden boat had a simple design, with a slightly upturned bow and a slender hull. With a little more finishing and reinforcement, it would be able to sail on the sea.

Fang Lian: “If nothing goes wrong, the boat should be ready by tomorrow.”

Fang Ruoyao excitedly touched the side of the boat, her eyes reddening slightly. “It’s so beautiful… Big brother, I really want to go home.”

Fang Lian: “We’ll definitely go home.”

In the evening, Yan Fan slipped away from the group and came up behind Rong Qi. “Right Protector, I think the boat’s almost ready. Why don’t we set sail tonight and leave the others here to wait for death?”

Rong Qi shot him a glare.

He understood Yan Fan’s thoughts. On this island, they had been able to maintain a surface-level harmony with the righteous sects, but once they had the chance to leave, that fragile peace would shatter. However, they weren’t sailors, and the sea was unpredictable. So, where did Yan Fan get the confidence to think that they could successfully sail out with just the two of them?

Rong Qi couldn’t be bothered to elaborate, simply saying, “After what happened with Zhou Shun, do you think they’ll be completely unprepared this time?”

Yan Fan was stunned. His idea had originally been inspired by Zhou Shun, so it was possible that the people from the Wulin Alliance might have thought of the same thing. He immediately understood the crux of the matter, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. “This subordinate didn’t think it through. But Right Protector, the Wulin Alliance has always seen us from Lihuo Palace as a thorn in their side. If they intend to leave us behind… we can’t afford to be careless!“

Rong Qi sneered. “Do I need a reminder from you?” His gaze shifted past Yan Fan, landing on Gu Yunxing, who was sitting some distance away with the Fang siblings. “Don’t worry, they won’t do that.”

Hearing his confidence, Yan Fan said no more.

Rong Qi withdrew his gaze and suddenly said, “Speaking of which, you’ve been under my command for about three years, haven’t you?”

Yan Fan nodded. “Yes, this subordinate only became qualified to follow the Right Protector after winning the internal competition three years ago.”

Rong Qi studied him, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Yan Fan was startled and immediately knelt. “Right Protector, this subordinate is absolutely loyal to you, without any ulterior motives!“

Rong Qi replied indifferently, “In that case, stay with them tonight and keep a close eye on things for me.”

“Why have you sent Yan Fan?” In the evening, Gu Yunxing leaned against the stone wall, casually playing with the ends of the hair of the person beside him with his right hand. “Don’t you trust him?”

Rong Qi murmured in acknowledgment, his hands working through his wet hair as he sat by the fire. “He’s not exactly one of my trusted subordinates. Anyway, with your Alliance Leader friend keeping an eye on him, there should be no issue. But if there is, he won’t be able to do anything in front of Fang Lian.”

Rong Qi: “And you, why are you here so early today?”

Gu Yunxing smiled helplessly. “You sent Yan Fan over, yet you’re out here alone. Aren’t you worried others will suspect you of plotting something bad?” Thinking of his friend’s suspicious gaze, Gu Yunxing couldn’t help but feel helpless. He could only take it upon himself to ‘watch over’ the demon.

Rong Qi quickly pulled that strand of hair out of Gu Yunxing’s hand and asked, “Maybe I just want to cause trouble?”

“How would you cause trouble? Let’s hear it.”

Seeing that Gu Yunxing wasn’t taking him seriously, Rong Qi said, “For example, set fire to everything.”

“If the Right Protector wants to stay on the island, this humble Gu is happy to accompany you,” Gu Yunxing replied, raising his arm to pull Rong Qi closer, slipping his fingers into his wet hair and gently shaking it loose. Tiny droplets of water seeped from the ends of his hair and fell into the fire.

“Why hasn’t it dried yet?” Gu Yunxing asked with a laugh, looking at Rong Qi’s disheveled hair.

Rong Qi pursed his lips. “It hasn’t been that long.”

That afternoon, on a whim, he had gone to the river in the woods to wash up before dusk. Knowing that Yan Fan had been sent to Fang Lian’s cave, he decided not to return and instead came here to warm himself by the fire while waiting for someone. Who knew Gu Yunxing would arrive so early? He had just started the fire when the other man arrived right after.

As Gu Yunxing continued to work with his hair, Rong Qi, growing impatient, tried to move his hand away. But when he didn’t succeed, he gave up trying to stop him. Gu Yunxing then used a clean part of his sleeve to gently wipe away the moisture, his movements slow and careful.

Rong Qi lowered his gaze, watching Gu Yunxing’s actions. His lashes trembled slightly, hiding his emotions. “Gu Yunxing, tomorrow we might have to leave here.”

Gu Yunxing finished arranging Rong Qi’s long hair. “If I didn’t know you disliked going into the water, I would’ve wanted to return to the east island for one last look before we left.”

Thinking back, most of their time had been spent there. Unfortunately, fate played its hand. That wildly imaginative house, the worn-out rabbit fur blanket, all of it had been left behind on the deserted island one day.

Rong Qi didn’t respond. He stared at the flickering flames, casually picking up a branch to stir the fire. “Tell me, what do you think the outside world is like now?”

Gu Yunxing thought for a moment. “If I count the time, it’s almost spring.”

“Spring?” Rong Qi repeated softly, “So soon…”

He had been at sea for nearly half a year. Half a year was long enough for a batch of people from the Lihuo Palace to come and go.

Gu Yunxing couldn’t help but feel that tonight, Rong Qi seemed quieter than usual. He stole a few glances at him. But Rong Qi’s expression was indifferent. When he wasn’t speaking, his face had a naturally docile look, and for the moment, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Yet, that sudden intuition made Gu Yunxing take notice. He reached out and pulled him closer.

He originally thought Rong Qi would glare at him in displeasure, but who knew he would only raise his eyelids and lean in quite obediently.

Gu Yunxing’s eyelid twitched. “……”

Damn it, it wasn’t his misperception.