Jing Yi looked up at Qiu Ling, not even knowing what to say. Laying in ambush? Why would they do that? "This …" Jing Yi looked back at Liu Cheng, his gaze complicated. "Why are you doing this? We did nothing wrong! Even though … even though Qiu Ling injured that Elder Gongxi, it was only because he refused to step back. You can't pin all of the responsibility on Qiu Ling!"
Liu Cheng snorted. "Nobody cares about Elder Gongxi."
Jing Yi stared at him in a daze. Nobody cared about Elder Gongxi? Well … it had indeed seemed that nobody but his own disciples were worried about his condition. The other Elders and disciples had seemed more interested in discussing Qiu Ling and even Sect Master Yuchi had been a bit perfunctory. But could you really say that out loud?
Jing Yi shook his head. That wasn't the point. "If this isn't about Elder Gongxi, then I understand even less. Just why are you doing this? We have only met today! What kind of grievance do you have with Qiu Ling to force him to fight when he's not in the condition to do so and you've even been told repeatedly?"
Jing Yi reached over and grabbed Qiu Ling's sleeve. He had been shocked previously when Qiu Ling lost his temper after Elder Gongxi's suggestion but he suddenly understood why. This Liu Cheng was just as unreasonable as Elder Gongxi. You could tell him that the other person wasn't able to fight but he'd just pretend to be deaf and continue to demand. It was maddening! If he was as strong as Qiu Ling, he might also conjure up a storm and attack. Maybe that way, this person would finally shut up.
Qiu Ling raised his hand and brushed back Jing Yi's hair. "Don't worry. I'm alright."
Jing Yi looked up and then closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Even if you're alright, it's not alright to force you like this. We're fellow practitioners. We're all on the same side. He shouldn't be doing this!"
Liu Cheng snorted. "We might all be practitioners but I'm afraid we're not on the same side. We might not even be of the same race. Martial brother Qiu, you're suspected to be of demonic origin, merely pretending to be human! You will either prove to us that you are human or the Chun Feng Sect will need to apprehend you for further investigation. Should you resist, we might be forced to kill you."
Jing Yi's eyes went wide. Of demonic origin? Proving to be human? But … but Qiu Ling wasn't human! He was a dragon! And … and part of his blood was indeed that of a demon.
Liu Cheng watched Jing Yi's expression and a knowing look appeared in his eyes. "So you knew." He had been right. That Qiu Ling was indeed a demon who merely pretended to be human and his fiance wasn't as innocent either. Well, that could be excused. Many humans had already been bewitched by demons and Jing Yi was young. Falling into the hands of one of these creatures wasn't an unforgivable sin.
"No, this …" Jing Yi looked up at Qiu Ling. What should they do now? Even if they escaped the fight, would they need to leave the Yun Zou Sect? With how this Liu Cheng had behaved up until now, he definitely wouldn't let go of this matter!
Qiu Ling also thought of that. He didn't care about the Yun Zou Sect but his beloved wanted to cultivate and had found his place here. If they left …
Qiu Ling's brows furrowed. Ah, if only this could have happened a few years earlier. Then if they had fled, Jing Yi wouldn't have been able to continue cultivating. He wouldn't have reached that stage where he would stop aging and wouldn't have been able to ascend. Then after fifty or sixty years, Jing He would have returned, his trial completed. But now … Jing Yi was already at that stage. There was no going back. These people from the Chun Feng Sect … they had come too late.
Qiu Ling sighed. Now, that he had decided to just let matters go and wait for Jing Yi to reach a natural end so that Jing He could wake up again, people were suddenly putting his beloved in danger. Were they kidding him? First that Elder Gongxi, now this Chun Feng Sect that wanted to fight while his beloved was around. And even if he won, they still wouldn't be able to get rid of them. It seemed the only way to get out of this situation without inconveniencing his beloved … was to prove that he was human.
Qiu Ling looked at Liu Cheng with a complicated gaze. Since the day his parents had died he had tried hard to make everyone believe that he was a full-blooded dragon. He had even killed to keep that secret. And now, he needed to prove that he was not a dragon but a human instead? This was … Well, it was something new.
"Then how do I 'prove' that I am human?"
Liu Cheng laughed. "You really want to play that game, demon?"
Qiu Ling's brows furrowed. "I'm not a demon!" He wasn't human either but still. He wouldn't let anybody call him a demon.
Liu Cheng snorted and drew his weapon. "Let's have that fight."
Qiu Ling raised his brows. "You want to have a fight to determine my blood? How does that work? If I win, I'm a demon because you wouldn't lose against a human?"
Liu Cheng's lips curled into a ridiculing smile. "No, you're a demon if you lose since none of you would be able to stand an attack from this sword."
Qiu Ling looked at the weapon and had a bad hunch. This sword … was probably the same kind as the one Hong Bao's sister Hong Ai had used? The one that would injure only demons? In that case … well, he was screwed.