CHAPTER 12

At these words, Wu Sisi shook her head and said, "You can't use my money. I can't have anything to do with this. That person is keeping an eye on the entire town at all times. Despite the formation I set up, I can only talk to you while he isn't watching, and you must be careful in what you say and do."

"Understood," Qin Yan finally said, looking at Wu Sisi and saying seriously, "then would Senior help me get out of the Xuanji Secret Realm after we have helped Senior?"

"This is naturally a small matter as long as my master reclaims the Xuanji Secret Realm," Wu Sisi promptly replied, and Qin Yan nodded, raising his hand in a salute.

Wu Sisi returned the salute by clasping her hands and performing a sword salutation unique among sword cultivators. She turned around and walked out after giving them a few more instructions.

As soon as Wu Sisi left, Fu Changling popped his head in front of Qin Yan, who looked up at him and asked, "What is it?"

Without saying anything, Fu Changling directly reached out to pull Qin Yan. Qin Yan subconsciously wanted to retreat, but Fu Changling grabbed his wrist and whispered, "Spread your palm."

Qin Yan frowned but spread his hand obediently. Fu Changling then began to scribble on his palm with his finger, "Do you think Wu is reliable?"

Qin Yan took a brief look outside. He nodded, understanding that Fu Changling was guarding against the prying eyes of others.

Then he took Fu Changling's hand in his and began writing on it.

Qin Yan's fingers were calloused, in contrast to the back of his hand, which was as smooth as jade. They rubbed against Fu Changling's hand, causing an indescribable itch in his heart. Fu Changling wanted to withdraw his hand, but he thought he was overreacting, so he could only stiffen his body and let him write on his palm.

Qin Yan traced his finger across his palm, each stroke tingling. Fu Changling concentrated so hard that he could barely understand what Qin Yan was saying.

"Theogony of the Ancient Gods and Immortals, Wu Si," wrote Qin Yan.

Fu Changling had to think about this name for a moment.

Wu Si was an exalted deity in the Theogony of the Ancient Gods and Immortals, and in the form of a sword spirit, she became a cultivation partner with her original master, Ming Xiu, who was a disciple of Ye Lan. Ming Xiu and Wu Si had both made significant contributions to the battle between immortals and demons back then, but Ming Xiu later vanished from the battlefield, and Wu Si was also lost to sight.

If Wu Sisi was Wu Si, then Ming Xiu, the disciple of Ye Lan, was probably the Lord God of this secret realm in the past.

Based on this theory, when Ming Xiu vanished back then, he was presumably dead. Following Ming Xiu's death, Ye Lan may have simply placed this disciple's spiritual consciousness in the Xuanji Secret Realm to recuperate, and Wu Si, being his sword spirit, would naturally follow him everywhere.

"How do you know?" Fu Changling was intrigued and enquired quickly. Qin Yan wrote four more words on his palm: "Fragrance pouch, sword pattern."

Fu Changling understood that sword cultivators would all have their own insignia, the most classic of which was the sword pattern on the fragrance pouch. Sword cultivators' sword patterns were often their own natal swords, but Qin Yan was a prodigy at identifying a sword at a glance among all the sword patterns that had been in existence for thousands of years.

Fu Changling was considerably more at ease with Wu Sisi after Qin Yan's "good person" validation, and as soon as he relaxed, he was tired. He yawned and climbed over to the bed, saying as he did so, "Ah, finally a bed to sleep in. I'm so tired and worn out..."

He then lay down on the bed, and after lying with his eyes closed for a while, he opened them and noticed Qin Yan getting onto the small couch across from him and sitting cross-legged on the edge.

Fu Changling froze and rolled over onto his back, saying, "Qin Yan, you're not sleeping?"

Qin Yan made a "mm" sound through his nose, and Fu Changling stared at him and said, "You're not well enough to meditate. Why don't you go to sleep?"

"You sleep."

"Oh～I see," Fu Changling figured it out, "you don't want to sleep in the same bed with me!"

As a tacit acknowledgement, Qin Yan did not say a word. Fu Changling sighed, got up, and kept walking to and from the bed, saying, "Never mind, never mind. You're seriously injured. You sleep."

"No need," Qin Yan refused with his eyes closed, yet after a moment, he added, "Thank you."

Fu Changling was initially offended, believing that this person was so stubborn as to deny any advice, but hearing this "thank you" softened his heart slightly. So he turned around and, while Qin Yan was not paying attention, lifted his hand and pointed, saying, "Sure!"

Qin Yan's eyes snapped open, and he was fixed on the spot before he could resist. Fu Changling walked up to him, carried him to the bed, and wrapped him in the quilt. Qin Yan's eyes remained open, and Fu Changling made a "tsk" sound before lifting his hand and closing them.

"If the young master wants you to sleep in the bed, can you still sleep on the couch? You're against me." Fu Changling turned around, took the quilt out of the cupboard, squeezed into the small couch, curled up and covered himself with the quilt, and coldly grunted, "No way!"

Fu Changling closed his eyes and turned away. After a few moments of silence, he heard Qin Yan say, "Actually, there is no need for that."

Fu Changling didn't say anything. This time, he didn't bother with Qin Yan.

After a while, he heard Qin Yan softly say again, "Thank you."

"Don't be too busy thanking me," Fu Changling drawled, "I'm counting on you to cover me. Take care of your injuries. I'm counting on you for the rest later."

"Fine," Qin Yan replied, lukewarm but serious. Fu Changling hesitated for a moment after hearing his response, but finally turned over, put his hands under his head, glanced at Qin Yan, who was not far away, and said, "Qin Yan, can I ask you something? I'm just asking. If you don't tell me, never mind."

"Mm."

"Why exactly do you want to kill me?"

Qin Yan said nothing.

In the face of such silence, Fu Changling suddenly felt a little lost. It was only at that moment, when he felt lost, that he realised that he had assumed Qin Yan would say something when he asked.

He was always the type of person who didn't want to ask questions about things he wasn't sure about, since if he didn't, at least he'd be left with an empty thought. Then it wouldn't be as difficult as it was right now, which was downright unpleasant.

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it. After all, it's something that matters to you too."

Fu Changling was ready to turn over when he suddenly heard Qin Yan say, "I suppose it's the Will of Heaven."

"The Will of Heaven?" Fu Changling was baffled, but Qin Yan seriously explained, "If you enter the Xuanji Secret Realm, you will harm the lives of the common people of Yunze."

"I... I will harm the lives of the common people of Yunze, you say?" It briefly occurred to Fu Changling that it was a little absurd.

Back then, it was evident that Qin Yan was the one who unsealed the Karma Prison by mistake; it was Qin Yan who killed his master and betrayed his sect; it was Qin Yan who had fallen into the demonic path, abandoned his principles, built the Immaculate Palace, and became Sui Yan MoJun. Now this guy had the audacity to tell him that the Will of Heaven had foretold him that he, Fu Changling, would cause harm to living beings in the future?

"Who told you that?" Fu Changling resisted the urge to laugh and couldn't help asking, "Who said I'd destroy Yunze?"

Qin Yan stopped talking.

Nobody could force him to say anything if he didn't want to.

However, just because he didn't say anything doesn't mean Fu Changling wasn't aware of what was going on.

Not every cultivator was fond of using the term "Will of Heaven", which was often heard on the lips of the group of cultivators who were keen on astrology and fortune-telling.

Su Wenji, the Young Lord of the Su Clan, who claimed to have possessed the Eyes of Heaven's Will, was Qin Yan's best friend when he was in the Hongmeng Heavenly Palace.

The Su Clan were inherently blind, yet they would all have a pair of Mind's Eyes. Su Clan cultivators with the Mind's Eyes could see a person's past and future to varying degrees, depending on their abilities. Of the four major clans of Yunze, they were the most inner-worldly yet most otherworldly ascetic clan, skilled in astrology and divination, and able to foretell both auspicious and inauspicious events.

Su Wenji was the Su Clan's Young Lord, and he was born with a pair of blue pupils. When he was ten, a comet fell from the sky at night, and from that night on, Su Wenji's eyes could no longer perceive ordinary things; all he could see was the Will of Heaven.

It was said that he could see not only a person's past and future but also the entire Yunze's. He was known as the most powerful descendant of the Su Clan, as well as possessing the "Eyes of Heaven's Will" that could actually see through the Will of Heaven.

Su Wenji and Qin Yan were very close. In Fu Changling's previous life, even though Su Wenji and Qin Yan had chosen opposing sides, their friendship remained unbroken. Qin Yan even went to the Su Clan's main gate himself and returned Su Wenji's eyes after a demon cultivator gouged them out.

Su Wenji was the only cultivator who had the ability to command Qin Yan and practise the Art of Extrapolation.

If it had been the later Su Wenji, Fu Changling would naturally take his extrapolation skills seriously, but at present, Su Wenji was only nineteen, and Fu Changling also knew what was coming later, so he would not be bothered about it. So he said with a careless smile, "Did Su Wenji ask you to come here?"

Qin Yan appeared surprised, as if he hadn't expected him to think of this.

Fu Changling felt even more convinced that Su Wenji was behind this, and a tinge of unfathomable annoyance touched his heart. His tone, though laced with a smile, grew more serious, "You're willing to do everything Su Wenji asks you to do? He asked you to kill me, so you came to kill me?"

Qin Yan did not utter a word, seemingly acquiescing. Fu Changling felt a greater sensation of indignation in his heart, yet he knew it was unjustified.

Just because Qin Yan wanted to kill him?

Qin Yan had wanted to kill him not once but twice before; he should have grown accustomed to it.

Or was it because Qin Yan wanted to kill him for Su Wenji's sake?

Fu Changling didn't give it much thought. This thought slipped away as soon as it struck him slightly, and he placed the pillow behind his head and sighed, saying, "So, he intended for you to save me if I was at the Shangguan Clan and kill me if I entered the Xuanji Secret Realm?"

"Sorry," Qin Yan finally spoke again, but this apology was the same as if Fu Changling had guessed everything correctly. Fu Changling stared at the ceiling of the room and said somewhat wearily, "You listened to me very well the moment you arrived and believed whatever I said at the Shangguan Clan." Saying this, Fu Changling turned his head to look at Qin Yan and asked, rather reluctantly, "Was it also Su Wenji who urged you to treat me in this manner?"

Qin Yan didn't respond right away, and it took him a moment to say, "I believe you won't harm people at will."

"And believe that I am gifted," said Fu Changling in a carefree manner.

Qin Yan immediately echoed, and after a while, Qin Yan finally said, "You are truly gifted."

"And now you know?" said Fu Changling, smiling, "How did you know?"

Qin Yan closed his eyes and simply murmured, "Wenji said so."

After that, Qin Yan refused to say another word, no matter how much Fu Changling asked. Noticing that the other person was ignoring him, Fu Changling also felt tired after a while and was unable to resist dozing off.

He had a dream after falling asleep in which he was kneeling in the midst of a blizzard, unable to see anything and hearing nothing except the sound of the wind howling by, and then a voice rang out, "Fu clansman?"

He lifted his head as a fierce gust of wind blew, and one end of a sword was placed in his hand. "Don't be afraid. I'll get you out of here."

They then proceeded to walk in the blizzard, with that person walking ahead of him. He stood tall and upright, keeping off the wind and snow alone, with Fu Changling right at his heels. They walked for a long, long time, and when Fu Changling's vision gradually cleared, he finally couldn't help asking, "Are you Yan Ming?"

The sword cultivator in front of him then turned back, and although he had a pair of attractive phoenix eyes, they had a dead, lifeless expression, similar to that of a deep well or a dried-up pond.

Fu Changling's eyes widened as he heard the other person faintly say, "Qin Yan."

"I am Qin Yan."

Fu Changling awoke startled. The sun was already high in the sky, and Qin Yan was meditating on the bed. Fu Changling was breathing heavily when he heard Qin Yan ask, "What are today's plans?"

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