It was indeed Yin Yu.
That Earth Master shovel was still in his hand. With the divine device still in his grip, even if he was swallowed by a mountain spirit he could still swiftly dig out a path to escape, thus, it wasn't strange for him to appear here. After all, Quan Yi Zhen's furious pounding earlier was considerably alarming.
Since the images the left and the right eyes saw were different, it was quite uncomfortable, and Xie Lian blinked lightly, which made him discover that even with his eyes closed his right eye could still see the scene outside, thus he just kept his eyes closed. Just then, the field of vision suddenly shuddered, then wildly shook, swinging from left to right. It appeared Quan Yi Zhen finally came to and was shaking his head.
Seeing him look up, Yin Yu reacted swiftly and raised his hand to bring his ghost mask down to cover his face. However, Quan Yi Zhen didn't have the time to mind him at all since the moment he woke, his entire body was violently yanked backwards and another chunk sank.
That mountain spirit had swallowed another chunk of Quan Yi Zhen's body!
Taking advantage of the fact his arms were still out, Quan Yi Zhen continued to smash at the wall with his fists while trying to pull himself out at the same time. However, this mountain spirit was probably thousands of years in age, its wicked powers immense, and it opened its mouth wide to suck again. Quan Yi Zhen was sinking deeper and deeper, until the sound of wall pounding disappeared as both his hands seemed have been dragged into the stone wall. Right at the same time, the mountain spirit seemed have stopped its movements. However, Quan Yi Zhen had only a head left exposed on the outside.
It seemed only then did he realize there was someone standing below him and demanded without thinking, "Who are you?"
Yin Yu didn't respond, but through his mask, the sharpness of his eyes could be seen.
Those eyes made one feel chills. Xie Lian couldn't help but think, '...Those don't look like the eyes that desired a reunion at all?'
Quan Yi Zhen continued to speak without thinking, "Is that shovel in your hand? Help dig me out of this wall, I want to come out."
He had always talked this way. Naive, matter of fact, fearless and unconcerned of consequences, almost like that of a child. He didn't even ask who the other was before making him help, completely inconscient of whether if the peculiar shadowed figure who appeared under such a circumstance would be there to kill him. Hearing his demand, Yin Yu's hand that was holding the Earth Master shovel gripped harder.
A moment later, with that snow bright shovel in his grip, he slowly approached Quan Yi Zhen. Taking one step after the other, like he was a murderer about to commit a major crime. For some reason, watching this play out was making Xie Lian grow anxiously unnerved, "...Wait, why does it look like he wants to gouge out Qi Ying's head with the shovel?"
"He just might." Hua Cheng said.
Xie Lian: "???"
Hua Cheng added, "But, we can't have him kill Quan Yi Zhen for the moment. Right now the mountain spirit can only swallow whole so digestion isn't easy, but if Quan Yi Zhen dies leaving only a corpse, then he'd be much easier to digest. If the mountain spirit should devour a heavenly official, its powers would grow exponentially, so it'd mean more trouble for us to get out."
Xie Lian quickly said, "Wait, wait, wait, wait. San Lang, easy digestion aside, Yin Yu is your subordinate, so in your understanding of him, do you think he will kill Qi Ying? Do they have a deep grudge between them?"
Qi Ying had been so determined in his search for Yin Yu, and since they were shixiong and shidi under the same sect, there was no way he couldn't have seen clearly his character, so Xie Lian thought that Quan Yi Zhen believed Yin Yu was someone worthy for him to seek. And with Quan Yi Zhen's personality, he couldn't have done anything for anyone to want to kill him.
Hua Cheng replied, "There isn't. But, sometimes, the desire to kill someone didn't have to come from some deep grudge; it can very well come from small matters. Especially small matters you yourself don't notice."
"What small matters?" Xie Lian asked.
Just as the words left his lips, the scene his right eye saw had changed. What he saw wasn't Hua Cheng's red robes and it wasn't the scene of one man facing one head on the stone wall outside, but a large street. Xie Lian was just about to ask what this was when he heard a bustling noise coming from ahead.
There was a crowd of cultivators on the road, seeming to be surrounding someone and yelling furiously. When he looked closer, he discovered that among the crowd was a small child crouched down, his head full of curly hair, his face covered in blood.
To be surrounded and yelled at by such a crowd, if it was any normal child they would've been terrified and crying already, but this child was only about ten years of age, and not only was he not scared, he seemed to be excited even, his eyes darting around, his little fists itching to be tested. Just then, a young cultivator pushed through the crowd and approached, "Let it go, stop yelling, he should know he's wrong by now."
Xie Lian "eh"-ed softly.
That young cultivator had bright eyes, a glowing, spirited face, his back straight standing tall, it was Yin Yu.
However, perhaps it was because this was when Yin Yu was at the height of his youth, his air confident and bold, and his will not yet dimmed from the wear and drain of time, appearing to be much brighter than the faint impression he left in Xie Lian's mind when they first met, and anyone would call him an impressive young man. They were practically two different people. Xie Lian remarked inwardly, 'He wasn't so boringly plain back then!'
Hua Cheng laughed out loud, "Who wasn't young once?"
Only then did Xie Lian realized he accidently spoke his mind out loud, "San Lang's right eye can see these things too?"
"It's not my right eye that can see it, it's something else that did. I'm only borrowing it for viewing, that's all."
"Amazing. Incredible." Xie Lian was amazed.
"It's easy." Hua Cheng said, "If you are to pick a subordinate, you must do a thorough background check. This I'm still pretty good at. If in the future gege has a need and wants to search someone's background, come find me anytime."
Just then, in the scene their right eye was showing, another quietly handsome young man around Yin Yu's age said furiously, "Knew he's wrong my ass! Look at him, does it look like he knew he was in the wrong? This brat doesn't know anything at all! We were minding our own business doing our morning training and he ruined the session with his randomly thrown rocks and mud, we've gotta teach him a lesson!"
Yin Yu stopped him, "Let it go, Jian Yu. He's already been beaten by you like this, I'm sure he won't dare to do it again next time. You've all vented your anger, what more is there to discipline? If you discipline him anymore he's going to die. Look at this child dressed like this, there mustn't be anyone at home and no one to discipline him. Just ignore him and go back to calm down."
Jian Yu spat as he turned around, "I'm telling you this brat is mental, he's not normal! Look at him, looking so happy when people are beating him up! I think he wants to go another round!"
Yin Yu pushed them away to leave, "Sigh! You said yourself he's mental, so why bother so much with him?"
It was easy to tell that Yin Yu's words had weight among those of his sect, and while the crowd was still upset, they still went away. Yin Yu took a look at the child sitting on the ground, and he crouched down, but before he even opened his mouth, this little child scooped a handful of mud and threw it to his face, his expression still excited.
The mud hit Yin Yu squarely in the face and he was speechless for a moment. He wiped himself clean and asked, "Little kid, why are you so mischievous? Why did you hit the cultivators of our temple?"
That small child leapt up and struck an attacking stance, "Come at me!"
"..."
Yin Yu stood up, "This attacking stance is of our sect, who taught you?"
That small child only urged, "Come at me!" And jumped up and down where he was like a silly little monkey, and he even grabbed for handfuls of mud and rocks from the ground to throw at his 'opponent', incredibly accurate in his aim. Yin Yu was older than him by a few years, and minding his own status, he couldn't fight a child, so he ended up running around while dodging the attacks, "This fighting stance also came from our sect, did you climb the walls and peek to learn in secret everyday...Stop hitting me! I SAID, STOP HITTING ME! I DIDN'T EVEN HIT YOU! DO YOU REALLY LIKE FIGHTING SO MUCH?!"
Yet unexpectedly, when those words came out, Quan Yi Zhen actually did come to a sudden stop and nodded, rubbing his muddy, grimy little hands, "I like it."
He actually said it so seriously, both Xie Lian and Yin Yu were stunned.
There was no need to say who this child was. Xie Lian was in awe, "Qi Ying really is a martial fanatic. He was born to be a martial god."
Even though at that moment, others all thought Quan Yi Zhen was a mental child, Xie Lian felt he could relate.
Since, there must be 'fanaticism' towards something first before one can achieve a state of 'godly'.
When it came to this point, those who could understand this sense of obsession meant there was potential, that there was a possibility; and those who couldn't and only knew how to taunt those 'mental' 'idiots', would have no hope in this path from the very beginning.
Yin Yu blinked then laughed. But he didn't laugh for very long before another ball of mud was splattered on his face, and he quickly called out, "Hey! I said stop hitting me... Listen to me! How about – do you want to enter our sect and learn how to fight?"
Hearing this, Quan Yi Zhen's movements stopped, a ball of mud in his hand, but Xie Lian didn't know whether if he threw it because soon after, right at that moment the stone wall outside came a resounding CLUNK sound, and Yin Yu had stabbed the Earth Master shovel on the wall.
He didn't actually break Quan Yi Zhen's neck with his shovel, but that sharp metal brushed past Quan Yi Zhen's face, exceedingly deadly.
That silver butterfly hidden in Quan Yi Zhen's hair was quite steady, and while it didn't flutter from the sudden strike, the image Xie Lian saw in his right eye changed from the shock, and he blurted in spite of himself, "DON'T!"
Hua Cheng however, seemed to have expected this already. "Just watch. He certainly does have the intention, but his killing intent isn't that strong yet."
Quan Yi Zhen only had a head exposed on the outside, "You want to kill me?"
Yin Yu didn't respond.
Quan Yi Zhen seemed to be confused, "Have I done something wrong?"
Xie Lian also asked, "Did he do something?"
"It's difficult to say." Hua Cheng said, "Gege, watch for yourself."
Then, the vision before Xie Lian's right eye showed a cultivation hall with long white walls and black tiles. Yin Yu looked a few years older than earlier, and was sitting poised, pouring over a desk writing fervently. Next to him was a large crowd of trainees crying their grievances, angry and hungry for justice, "Yin Yu shixiong, the way Quan Yi Zhen eats is too unbearable! Every time at meal time his rice would spray everywhere, and he eats three times as much as everyone, like he's a starving ghost or something, hogging the rice bucket, no one could eat well!"
"Yin Yu shixiong, I can't live with him anymore, I want to change rooms. He's always so cranky in the mornings I worry everyday that he'll kick and break my ribs, I can't deal with him!"
"Yin Yu shixiong, I don't want to be in his group anymore. That bastard never cooperates with others nor is he considerate of anyone, he only cares to throw fists randomly and show off, I'd rather be in the same group as the weakest shidi than with him!"
Yin Yu was getting overwhelmed by all the complaints, "Alright, alright, then, how about this. I'll investigate first, and after I've investigated I'll think of what the best course of action is. Go back for today."
The one who slapped the table and complained the loudest was of course Jian Yu, and he obviously wasn't satisfied with this response, "Yin Yu, you shouldn't have had the Master take that brat in in the first place, now trouble's come through the door. Look, how long has he been with us now? What days has he not caused chaos? What days has he not caused destruction?!"
The crowd were trying to force his hand so Yin Yu tried to pacify them, "It's not like the things he did were that bad..."
"NOT THAT BAD?! HE'S KILLED OUR PEACE AND QUIET, SO HOW CAN WE CULTIVATE IN PEACE?"
"Yea, there's never been this much trouble in the past!"
Yin Yu could only say, "Yi Zhen didn't mean anything malicious, he's just too ignorant of the ways of the world and didn't know how to get along with others."
"Ignorance of the ways of the world isn't a pass for pardon, if he doesn't know can't he learn? Since we all live in this world full of people, then you must learn how to get along with others. How old is he now, he can't always be like a child? There are people who are dads now at his age!"
"Master's favouritism aside, this brat has only been here for how many years? The moment he came he took over all the benefits; the best training hall was given to him, the best potion produced every season is given to him, he can even skip morning and evening lessons, exempt from reciting sutras, and even when the master catches him he'd only get lightly reprimanded, no lectures at all! WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT HIM?! Ying Yu shixiong! You're the eldest disciple, if you act like that then we'd all let it go, we've nothing to say. But who the hell is he? No education, no manners, so what if he's talented? None of us will accept him!"
This had the veiled intent to alienate Quan Yi Zhen and the crowd all agreed in unison. When Yin Yu heard, his expression instantly grew dim, and he gripped his brush. Xie Lian thought things were getting discouraging.
Those with ordinary patience would easily fall for this hook, and if it was someone narrow minded, then even without the hook he would've already be jumping on his feet, so when the lure flashed, wouldn't he just explode?
However, unexpectedly, after some contemplation, Yin Yu put down his brush and admonished solemnly, "Shidi, I think what you are all saying isn't right."
The crowd was taken aback. Yin Yu continued, "I'm going to say something unpleasant. No matter what path we cultivate, talent truly is something incredible. Besides, not only is he talented, he's willing to work hard. If you really think the master is playing favourites, then let's work harder to keep up with him, overtake him, and the training halls, the potion halls will naturally open their doors to everyone then. If everyone has the time to be mad, then why not use that energy to cultivate and train more, am I right?"
Hearing his reprimand, everyone's enthusiasm dropped, but they still said, "Shixiong is being generous, not disputing with him."
"This patience alone threw him out for ten thousand miles."
Jian Yu however, warned, "Yin Yu, you speak for him today, but be careful of him screwing you over in the future!"
In any case, after this round of complaints, neither parties were pleased. After the crowd of fellow disciples left, Yin Yu closed the door and was about the shut the windows when he suddenly found there was someone perched on it, and he jumped in surprise, "Who's there?!"
Quan Yi Zhen had his head bowed, perching on the window sill, and once Yin Yu saw that it was him, he questioned, "When did you come?" He pulled at him but Quan Yi Zhen didn't move, "Yi Zhen, if you're going to perch, find a different place to perch. I'm going to shut the window."
Quan Yi Zhen suddenly asked, "Shixiong, am I annoying?"