In Clear Wind Pavilion, Feng Yi sat at the stone table in the courtyard, cracking melon seeds and occasionally glancing at Qi Mo nearby. Qi Mo sat quietly on the stone steps outside Lin Qingyang's bedroom, his face expressionless and his gaze fixed on the entrance. Feng Yi had already noticed that whenever their master was away, Qi Mo became like this: expressionless and barely speaking, his whole person like a stone, cold and hard.
Although Feng Shu had said this Demon Slave harbored ill intentions and told Feng Yi to stay away from him, Feng Yi was a child who could not sit still after all, and tossed some melon seeds beside Qi Mo's feet. Qi Mo raised his eyes and gave him a cold look. Feng Yi backed away warily. With both his master and senior brother absent, he was a little afraid Qi Mo might bite him.
When Qi Mo merely glanced at him before turning back to watch the entrance, Feng Yi grew a little bolder. He edged closer and crouched a short distance away.
"Hey, just how did you offend Elder Mo?" Feng Yi asked curiously.
Qi Mo ignored him and gave no answer, continuing to stare silently at the entrance.
Feeling rather rebuffed, Feng Yi said, "It obviously wasn't anything minor, or Master wouldn't have even dug out the Phoenix Fire Spirit Pill."
Qi Mo finally turned to look at him and asked, "What's that?"
Seeing a response from him, Feng Yi continued, "It's a miraculous healing medicine, the prize Master won for taking first place at the Immortal Alliance Ceremony back then. He couldn't bear to take it even when he was injured several times before."
Qi Mo's expression faltered. He frowned without speaking. Feng Yi was just about to pry further into his relationship with Lin Qingyang when he suddenly saw Qi Mo's ears twitch and his eyes brighten as he looked toward the entrance. Catching on, Feng Yi hurriedly threw away the melon seeds in his hands, picked up the sword on the table, and made a show of practicing. Sure enough, before long, Lin Qingyang and Feng Shu walked in.
Feng Yi put away his sword, pretended to pant, and stepped forward to salute. "Master."
Lin Qingyang nodded to him and was about to head inside when he saw Qi Mo sitting on the steps outside his bedroom, looking at him for all the world like a large dog. Lin Qingyang paused, averted his gaze, and said, "Come inside."
With that, he passed Qi Mo and pushed the door open. Sensing Lin Qingyang's coldness, Qi Mo suddenly felt a little uneasy and rose to follow him inside. Feng Yi wanted to follow too, but Feng Shu caught him and pulled him back.
Entering the room, Lin Qingyang saw several small dishes laid out on the table, with steam still rising from the clay pot in the middle.
"The fish congee is ready. Would you like some?" Qi Mo asked from behind him.
Only then did Lin Qingyang remember the congee he had told him to make before leaving. When he said nothing, Qi Mo stepped forward, lifted the lid, and picked up a bowl to serve him.
"Mo Yan probably won't trouble you over what happened before," Lin Qingyang said.
Qi Mo nodded and lowered his head to ladle out the congee. Lin Qingyang glanced at the nearly setting sun outside the window. The sect leader would probably wake soon; he was running out of time. He sighed and said, "Qi Mo, you were temporarily held in Clear Wind Pavilion because of the case involving the sect leader. He'll wake up any moment now, and it's been confirmed that this had nothing to do with you."
After speaking, he stole a glance at Qi Mo. With his head lowered, Qi Mo's expression was hidden, but his hand paused briefly before he set the congee in front of Lin Qingyang. Bright green chopped scallions dotted the snowy white congee, and the steam carried the fragrance of fish and rice. It was very tempting.
Lin Qingyang paused before continuing, "I've spoken to Jin Buhuan. You can return to Golden Spirit Court."
Qi Mo did not answer. Only after a long silence did he ask, "Now?"
"Yes. Feng Shu will take you there," Lin Qingyang said. After a pause, still somewhat concerned, he added, "Try to change that temper of yours from now on. Don't always be so impulsive."
Qi Mo lowered his eyes without speaking, set down what he was holding, and turned to leave. But his hand paused on the door latch, and for a long time, he did not open the door. His fingers tightened before he turned back to look at the person inside.
"Could you... let me stay? I won't cause you trouble again," Qi Mo said awkwardly. His usually cold, hard face bore a rare hint of vulnerability and pleading.
Lin Qingyang looked at him helplessly. He wanted to refuse, but his throat felt blocked, and no words came out.
After a stretch of silence, Qi Mo's eyes gradually dimmed. A trace of self-mockery flashed through them before his usual expression returned, and he turned decisively, pushed open the door, and left.
Lin Qingyang listened as silence lingered outside for a moment, followed by Feng Shu urging him along, then the footsteps of several people. Soon, all was quiet again. Looking down at the still-steaming congee on the table, he suddenly felt a heaviness in his chest. A sigh suddenly sounded in the room.
Startled, Lin Qingyang looked over. The Windflower Sword floated toward him and sighed mournfully. "Only a monster would abandon someone in his care."
"He was never in my care," Lin Qingyang said. "When did you wake up?"
"Just when he said, 'Could you let me stay?'" Lin Yao replied.
Lin Qingyang looked over speechlessly, feeling inexplicably irritable. But he had no time to dwell on this now. The sect leader could wake at any moment, so he had to get as far away as possible before the man exposed him.
Lin Qingyang dug the bundle and Qiankun Bag he had prepared long ago out of the wardrobe, took the Windflower Sword, and left under cover of night. His Spiritual Power had yet to recover, so he could not use the Movement Technique. He could just barely activate the Ten-Thousand-Li Tianyan Array, but that thing would report directly to Jin Buhuan, and his destination would be easy to trace. After considering it from every angle, it seemed he could only walk.
Fortunately, he was still an elder and could stroll openly out of the Nine Skies Sect's gates. Yet when he stood before those gates and looked at the stone steps stretching beyond sight, he was speechless.
"Why do all the Immortal Sects have to have a staircase like this?" Lin Qingyang asked in bewilderment.
"Standard equipment for the Immortal Sects. Nothing you can do," Lin Yao said.
Just as Lin Qingyang was considering whether walking or rolling down would be faster, he suddenly spotted what seemed to be a figure coming up from the bottom of the steps. Mist shrouded the figure, making it difficult to see clearly, but its silhouette looked strange. It seemed to be a person floating up through the air, arms hanging limply at its sides and hair loose.
Lin Qingyang frowned and could not help asking, "Are there ghosts in this world?"
"What ghosts?" The Windflower Sword floated up and looked at the figure too.
As the figure drew closer, the disciples guarding the mountain spotted it as well. They immediately tensed and drew their swords.
Two disciples went down first to investigate, but before long, screams came from below. Everyone at the mountain gates grew tense, and Lin Qingyang tightened his grip on the Windflower Sword.
The figure drew closer and closer, revealing a huge mass of shadow beneath its upper body. The thick mist around it writhed as though alive and gradually dispersed, leaving everyone wide-eyed. Its upper body was that of a pale-faced man with disheveled hair. His eyes had red, vertical pupils, his mouth was covered in blood, and the tongue flicking out was forked like a snake's. Mottled scales covered his face as well. Its lower body, however, was an enormous snake's tail, its scales gleaming with a sinister, cold light.
Before you continue