Li Qinglin

This Welcoming Banquet was rather dull. The Li Family Siblings, having lost their elder brother, clearly had no mood for drinking and merrymaking, nor would it have been appropriate. It was merely a routine feast in the residence, where Li Qinglin introduced Qin Yi to his trusted retainers.

There were four or five so-called confidants, both civil and military, and their attitudes toward Qin Yi were fairly official. Having risen to such positions, they would not easily reveal their likes or dislikes. Even if some of them looked down somewhat on this inexplicable fangshi, none would show it.

All Qin Yi could see were smiles as warm as spring breezes, carrying faint scrutiny and detachment beneath their courtesy.

Even Li Qingjun no longer had that easy intimacy of a comrade-in-arms with Qin Yi, instead keeping her distance from him as well. Her manner at the feast was more dignified than anyone's. Qin Yi even saw her cover her wine cup with her small hand and take delicate little sips.

The woman who had raised his Wine Gourd in that pavilion, tipped back her neck, and drank deeply seemed to have been nothing more than a fleeting bloom.

"It feels so stifling." Back in his own Guest Courtyard, Qin Yi dropped onto the seat by the window, leaning against the sill as he watched the flowers in the yard. "I would rather roam the martial world with the Li Family Siblings and slay demons than see them living in the capital."

Li Qingjun had already taken her leave. She had her own residence and naturally would not stay overnight with her brother. Li Qinglin had also gathered his confidants to discuss matters, most likely concerning the position of Crown Prince. He had not asked Qin Yi to listen in, and Qin Yi did not care, returning to the Guest Courtyard alone.

Liusu's voice carried a hint of teasing. "Regretting coming down from the mountain with them? Life on Immortal Trace Mountain was so carefree, wasn't it?"

"When the heart is far away, even the ground beneath one's feet becomes remote. Where one lives is not that important." Qin Yi took out the Wine Gourd and drank, only to discover that it was already nearly empty. Bored, he tossed it aside.

"Keep pretending." Liusu said, "Why didn't you bring the Peach Wood Sword to this Welcoming Banquet?"

"What would I bring it for?" Qin Yi countered. "Even if there really is a demon beside Li Qinglin, that does not prove he murdered his brother. It would only make it look as if I suddenly lashed out and hurt someone at the feast. How would I get by afterward?"

Liusu seemed to ask casually, "If he truly murdered his brother, would you still work with him?"

Qin Yi stared blankly into the courtyard for a long while before saying, "I don't know."

"Even if he did murder his brother, it has nothing to do with you. The one you want to deal with is only the National Teacher." Liusu's words carried temptation. "Li Qinglin having designs on the throne would actually be better. He should be more certain of dealing with the National Teacher."

Qin Yi remained lost in thought, as though he had remembered something. After a long time, he said, "Anyway, for now, I still trust him. When the Crown Prince was attacked, he was clearly still in the mountains looking for me. If I started suspecting a partner just because some Daoist Nun I had never met stirred things up with a few words, that would be a problem with my brain."

Liusu laughed softly, understanding at once.

Qin Yi had used the words "for now." Liusu knew that although Qin Yi claimed to trust him, a thread of doubt had inevitably been planted in his heart. At the very least, he would pay some attention to this matter in their daily dealings.

Qin Yi suddenly said, "By the way, can you control that sword? I don't want something uncontrollable like that beside me."

Liusu chuckled. "Cultivate immortality with me."

Qin Yi said disdainfully, "I doubt you even know how."

Then a Wolf Tooth Club sprang up from where it lay. "Who says I don't!"

Li Qinglin was likewise in a secret chamber, discussing with his confidants how to respond to the changes in the situation ahead. By the time every arrangement had been made, the night was already deep.

His confidants bade farewell and departed. Li Qinglin let out a breath and sat alone in the secret chamber, watching the glow of the Night-Shining Pearl without moving for a long while.

From a corner untouched by the Night-Shining Pearl's light came a woman's voice. "For the past two days, an extremely powerful divine sense has been covering the area. I have not even dared to leave."

The woman's voice sounded somewhat youthful, and very cold. If Qin Yi had heard what she said, he probably would have jumped straight up.

There was no doubt about it. This was the demon Minghe was hunting!

Li Qinglin laughed soundlessly. "No wonder I was wondering why you had not left yet. We agreed that once you helped me with this job, you would leave."

"You can still laugh?" the woman said coldly. "Do you know what this means? It means I have been exposed. An outsider cultivator unlike any I have ever seen has set her sights on me."

Li Qinglin's smile remained unchanged. "You said that if the deed failed, you would kill yourself to repay the favor and would not bring me any trouble. I hope your so-called Soul Blood Oath is somewhat more reliable than a human's."

The shadows were silent for a long time before she sighed softly. "The blood oath is very effective. You need not worry... You brought a fangshi back?"

Li Qinglin asked in return, "Do you hope he can help you get through this trial?"

"Even ants steal a life, let alone me. I... I certainly do not want to die."

Li Qinglin pondered for a while, then sighed. "Since she has not entered the residence, stay here for now. Tomorrow, I will speak with Qin Yi before we decide what to do..."

"You..." The woman's voice was full of astonishment. "You are still willing to help me? This may drag you into trouble. More likely, it may make Qin Yi suspect you."

Everyone knew the best solution was to fulfill the oath and end it with suicide. Not to mention the cultivator outside, no one would ever know that there had once been a demon here. The final thread of the Crown Prince's case would be completely obliterated.

The woman truly seemed unable to imagine that Li Qinglin would choose to help her. This completely exceeded everything she knew of him.

Li Qinglin did not need her to consider things for him and simply continued, "Actually, this matter... It is not too difficult to understand that I keep a demon at my side. Qin Yi does not seem like the single-minded sort who kills demons on sight either. Who would connect you with the Crown Prince's case for no reason? It should be possible to explain that I was merely helping the demon raised in my residence, shouldn't it?"

"Yes. It is only that an unexpected complication has arisen..."

"Enough." Li Qinglin waved a hand. "You think I am helping you, but am I not also using this chance to see the cultivator you spoke of? Qin Yi has little cultivation after all. If his fangshi arts prove insufficient, perhaps this outsider cultivator you mentioned may become my final choice. She may not necessarily belong to Dong Huazi."

The woman's voice fell silent again.

An outsider cultivator meant someone unconnected to the local powers. She truly was someone Li Qinglin could instead unite with. The price he would have to pay would probably only be her head.

"A person like you... are you not afraid that one day, these schemes of yours on the edge of a cliff will finally lead to a misstep?"

"Man proposes." Li Qinglin said calmly, "At least for now, everything is still proceeding smoothly."

The woman said indifferently, "Calculating enemies and calculating yourself is one thing. You used the excuse of accompanying Zhaoyang Princess in her search for immortals to bring back a fangshi, while also taking the chance to create proof that you had nothing to do with the Crown Prince's case. Everything is unfolding according to your plan. The only one being used and led around in circles is the Zhaoyang Princess, who happily went searching for immortals with her brother. Do you feel no guilt in your heart?"

Li Qinglin pondered, then murmured as if speaking to himself, "Qing Jun is a carefree monkey on the road to seeking immortality, possessing the purest truth. She will grow up eventually. I simply do not know what the catalyst will be."

"A monkey?"

"Yes, a monkey. And I am a monkey wagering a battle with Tathagata, struggling upward in defiance. If I had no tricks up my sleeve and remained as naive as Qing Jun, then in the end I would never escape the fate of being trapped beneath Five Fingers Mountain." Li Qinglin's expression became calm once more. "I am walking on thin ice now. Where would I find the strength to tend to everyone's feelings?"