TM CH50

Chapter 50 Setting Sail

Fang Lian looked doubtfully at the yellowed, torn spot. “Let me take another look.”

Rong Qi, growing impatient, snapped, “Can it be used or not? How long are you going to stare at it?” He had already gone into the water twice just for this piece of canvas, yet Fang Lian was still acting so picky. It was hateful!

Fang Ruoyao, getting anxious, exclaimed, “You demon, don’t you dare yell at my big brother!”

Fang Lian pulled her back, and said with a relatively good temper, “To my shame, this humble Fang hasn’t thoroughly studied this. However, I paid attention to sails before, and there shouldn’t have been any holes.”

Gu Yunxing: “Maybe we can patch it up.”

Rong Qi sneered, “Patch it up? With what, a needle and thread?” As soon as the words left his mouth, his expression changed as he turned to look at Gu Yunxing… and immediately fell silent.

Fang Lian: “The hole isn’t big. It can be patched and still be usable. The problem is how to repair…” His words stopped abruptly.

While he was talking, Gu Yunxing had already taken out the ‘embroidery needle’ hidden in his belt.

Fang Lian instantly recognized it as a modified silver-ringed bone-piercing needle. His expression changed several times, finally settling into a complex and indescribable gaze upon his friend.

Gu Yunxing gave an awkward smile. “Well, let’s give it a try.”

Fang Lian remained silent. He could understand the modified silver-ringed bone-piercing needle, but what he couldn’t fathom was why this needle was taken from Gu Yunxing’s body.

Gu Yunxing skillfully pulled a thread from the frayed edge of his clothes, threaded it, and then thoughtfully handed it to Fang Lian.

Fang Lian stared at the needle in silence, inexplicably feeling as though he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his own foot.

Gu Yunxing’s expression remained unchanged. “Shuhuai, this is your task.”

Fang Lian’s face was emotionless. “I’ll try my best.”

“Alliance Leader Fang is so young and already the head of the righteous path, why be so modest?” Rong Qi was openly enjoying the spectacle. “This venerable one believes this won’t be difficult for you. So, we’ll wait for your good news.”

He detested the idea of mending things himself, so the thought of passing the task to Fang Lian lifted his spirits. He casually strolled to a spot nearby to watch, his posture leisurely as he waited for Fang Lian to begin.

Fang Lian couldn’t help but feel that even though the demon had a good relationship with Gu Yunxing, his vile nature was hard to change. He was just about to say a few more words to Gu Yunxing when he noticed the other had followed after Rong Qi.

Fang Lian: “……”

He sighed in resignation, and tore a piece of cloth from his outer garment. Comparing it with the hole, he began to sew it carefully.

Rong Qi and Gu Yunxing had returned from crossing the sea, their clothes still wet, so they stayed near the fire to warm up. They maintained a distance from each other, their expressions calm, but their eyes occasionally glanced at Fang Lian.

Rong Qi watched for a while in silence, then suddenly spoke. “I didn’t expect he actually knows how.”

He found it somewhat boring. He had expected to see Fang Lian make a fool of himself, but instead, he was skillfully stitching, moving with a certain finesse.

“Madam Fang spends most of her time in the temple, praying. Although the Fang family has servants, Shuhuai would sometimes personally take care of his younger sister.” As the little girl grew older, Fang Lian had stopped doing so.

Rong Qi paused, thinking about Fang Ruoyao’s clinginess. It seemed she had been practically raised by her older brother.

“Truly, an elder brother is like a father. Such deep sibling affection,” Rong Qi said, half-mocking. “People of the righteous path really are different from us, raised in a way so unlike demons.”

Gu Yunxing immediately thought of the tension within Lihuo Palace and was about to offer some comforting words when he noticed that Rong Qi didn’t seem to be upset at all.

So, Gu Yunxing said nothing more and silently took out the rabbit fur blanket he had brought back from east island.

“Why are you taking that out?” Rong Qi’s expression changed.

“It got wet when we crossed the sea.”

Rong Qi: “Put it away!”

He glanced at the delicate stitches in Fang Lian’s patch, then at the tattered blanket, feeling an overwhelming urge to destroy the evidence.

Gu Yunxing, hearing this, looked at him in confusion.

Rong Qi couldn’t take it anymore and shot Gu Yunxing a glare. Before he could look away, his gaze directly met Fang Lian’s surprised eyes through the large hole in the rabbit fur.

At another glance, even Fang Ruoyao and Yan Fan were curiously peering in their direction.

Rong Qi’s expression hardened, and he raised his voice in clear disdain. “Gu Yunxing, quickly take away that ugly thing you sewed. It’s blocking this venerable one’s view!”

Gu Yunxing: “But this clearly…” was made by the two of them. Meeting Rong Qi’s threatening gaze, he suddenly changed his words. “It can still be used. This humble Gu is reluctant to throw it away.”

Rong Qi fell silent, only shifting his body slightly to move further away from the tattered blanket.

Fang Lian’s gaze flickered slightly, then moved to Gu Yunxing, a hint of understanding in his eyes. No wonder… He sighed and, right in front of Gu Yunxing, skillfully threaded the needle and made a stitch.

Gu Yunxing: “……”

Fang Lian’s stitching continued steadily, from dusk until nightfall.

Before leaving, Rong Qi glanced over, guessing that, barring any accidents, the patching would likely be finished by tomorrow.

Just as he stood up, Gu Yunxing also rose to his feet, reaching out to stop him.

The others looked over at the same time, as if by agreement.

Rong Qi paused, his expression sour. “Gu Yunxing, what do you mean by this?”

Gu Yunxing smiled. “The boat is finished for today, and the food and water are all on board. Right Protector Rong is incredibly powerful, how could this humble Gu possibly feel at ease letting you leave alone?”

His words made sense. At that moment, it would be suspicious for either of them to leave.

Rong Qi narrowed his eyes, a sinister smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “So what’s your point?”

This Gu Yunxing had learned quickly, putting his knowledge to use sooner than expected.

Sure enough, Gu Yunxing added, “It seems that tonight, this humble Gu will have to accompany the Right Protector.”

Rong Qi seemed both amused and irritated. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned and walked away.

Gu Yunxing followed closely behind.

In the blink of an eye, the two had disappeared, leaving the remaining three standing in place, exchanging uncertain looks.

Fang Lian: “……”

These two really knew how to avoid suspicion in new ways.

The next morning, everyone gathered by the river to watch as Fang Lian climbed the mast and hung the sail. A gust of wind blew, causing the canvas to billow and flap loudly in the wind.

Fang Lian spoke in a deep voice. “It’s done.”

They all pushed with force, sending the boat into the river. As before, the boat rocked slightly, then quickly steadied. Beneath the boat, the water surged, carrying the vessel forward.

Fang Ruoyao exclaimed with joy, “It’s moving! It’s moving, the boat’s moving!”

This news was undoubtedly uplifting. Fang Ruoyao even jumped and danced around her older brother, and even a genuine smile appeared on Yan Fan’s face.

Gu Yunxing stood behind them, watching the boat slowly drift away. With a smile, he said, “This time, we’re really leaving.”

He turned his head to look at the person beside him, his expression soft. With a subtle movement, he gently squeezed Rong Qi’s hand through his sleeve.

Rong Qi stiffened for a moment. Noticing that the three in front were too absorbed in the boat’s movement to pay attention, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He shot Gu Yunxing a quick glare and, taking advantage of the moment, quietly pulled his hand behind his back — no more contact.

The group boarded the boat, watching as the forested mountain slowly receded. A sense of nostalgia filled the air. At the end of the river, they worked together again to push the boat to the seaside. The sound of the wind and waves grew stronger. The bodies of the master and apprentice remained unmoved, left where they had fallen. Their necks were no longer bound by vines, and the once-damaged boat had been swept into the deep sea, lost to the tides.

The initial excitement faded, and the weight of the unknown settled heavily in everyone’s hearts.

Fang Ruoyao glanced back at the small island, feeling a little surreal. “After we leave, will we ever be able to find this place again?”

Fang Lian replied, “Maybe.”

Fang Ruoyao’s voice trembled slightly. “Big brother, I’m a little scared.”

Fang Lian gently patted her head. “The road ahead is uncertain, but no matter what, I’ll protect you.”

Fang Ruoyao’s mood shifted quickly, and she soon smiled. “That’s right! The two most reliable people in the world are with me, so what’s there to be afraid of?”

Rong Qi snickered.

Fang Ruoyao huffed, choosing not to argue with the demon.

“If we keep stalling, it’ll be dark before we leave,” Rong Qi said, tilting his chin up as he urged them on. “Let’s go.”

The group pushed the boat forward bit by bit, moving it out into the deeper water. After crossing the shallows, the water grew deeper. In a short while, the wooden boat floated.

With a tap of his toe, Rong Qi spun and boarded the boat. Soon, the others followed one after another.

The boat wasn’t large. A few wooden planks were arranged to form a makeshift canopy in the middle, where food and fresh water were stored, along with some miscellaneous items. The bow and stern were open to the sky, with a thick tree stump placed at each end.

Rong Qi didn’t hurry inside. He stood at the stern, gazing off toward the island in the distance.

“Today just happens to be low tide, with favorable wind and current conditions. It’s a good day for a journey.” Gu Yunxing had come over at some point and stood side by side with him.

The boat moved quickly through the sea, pushed by the wind and waves. As the direction changed, the distant scenery also shifted.

Gu Yunxing suddenly raised his hand and pointed. “Look over there.”

Rong Qi followed the direction of his finger, faintly making out the shallows in the distance.

“Is that… the east island?”

Gu Yunxing nodded. “The tides change every half-month. The shipwreck occurred during a rising tide, and the water flowed toward west island. That’s why most people were carried along with the tide to west island.”

Rong Qi frowned. “But from here, the east island is behind the west island.”

How had they crossed the west island and ended up on the more distant east island?

Perhaps only a powerful natural force, like a storm at sea, could explain such an unimaginable result. No one knew their exact course as they drifted in the currents, but somehow, only the two of them had been swept to the east island by the tide.

Gu Yunxing smiled. “Whenever I think about it, I feel like… fate is mysterious, and everything happens for a reason.”

Because there were others present, Gu Yunxing kept his words vague, but Rong Qi understood the meaning behind them.

If they had drifted to the west island with everyone else that day, the ill-tempered Rong Qi would have surely gathered the disciples of Lihuo Palace and clashed with Gu Yunxing. Or, perhaps they wouldn’t have ended up in the East Sea at all. When they met again in the future, it was highly likely that their paths would cross in a conflict between the two major sects… Regardless, he and Gu Yunxing were destined to walk different paths.

But this nameless island deep in the East Sea had instead become a rare turning point between them.

The distant west island gradually receded, and after some time, it vanished into a small black dot, swallowed up by the vast sea.

Rong Qi withdrew his gaze and entered the boat’s canopy. Gu Yunxing followed him inside. The canopy was cramped, providing an excuse to avoid suspicion, so Gu Yunxing sat closely beside Rong Qi.

Without the island as a reference point, everyone only saw endless stretches of seawater in all directions, without a trace of land in sight. After staring at the vast expanse for a long time, panic crept in, as they had no idea where they were. It even made them doubt whether they could find their way back if they turned around.

The hours at sea felt long and monotonous. At first, the group exchanged a few words, but as time passed, silence settled over them.

They had no means of navigation, and could only follow the current of the waves.

The old captain had said that after about a day of sailing, they would likely return to their original course. By then, the number of passing ships would increase, and they could board one to seek help.

But how much time had passed by now?

They had boarded the boat in the morning, and now… it felt like a very long time had passed.