In the end, visiting other peaks turned out to be unnecessary. At least as far as finding Liu Wei was concerned. Yu Qingyu was able to notice an important clue the very next day.
Taking advantage of Gu Huiji's lack of any regular schedule, he got a good night's sleep, and stayed in bed until late in the morning. His whole room was bathed in the warm, bright sunlight, the sun already high above the mountain peaks, by the time he finally decided to get up.
When he went to the dining hall to have breakfast, some people were already having their lunch, after being up since sunrise. Yu Qingyu felt a bit awkward at first. But no one found his actions weird, so there was no reason for Yu Qingyu to care either. And he was the Peak Master, so who would dare to criticize him in the first place? He quickly concealed his emotions, and went over to the counter to get a meal with a content smile on his face.
The food served at his peak was delicious. When he came to the dining hall for the first time the previous day, he was expecting a plain, flavorless, ascetic meal, but was pleasantly surprised. Everything was full of flavor, well-balanced, generous portions, with a lot of juicy meat. It instantly managed to lift his mood.
Aside from how unsuitable his identity was to him, and Liu Wei's presence, this world was amazing. Beautiful views, clear air, possibility of sleeping in, and delicious food… Not a bad place to spend a few years at all!
Yu Qingyu slowly started losing all the urgency he previously felt to complete the contract with the system quickly. Originally, he only wanted to get it done, and return to his world as soon as possible, to resume his life. Of course, he still wanted to return, but he was alive right now as well, right? He could treat it as a vacation of a sort…
After breakfast, he went to check in on his disciples, before deciding what to do next.
Just like yesterday, most of them were gathered on the training field, with three of them missing this time. Surprisingly, one of the missing disciples was Zhao Weixin.
Yu Qingyu furrowed his brows, looking around. 'How come Zhao Weixin's not here?' The other two were less of a concern, but Zhao Weixin was crucial to his mission. Even though Yu Qingyu wasn't planning to start working on it yet, he still needed to at least observe the young man.
But 520 reassured him right away, providing a good explanation. [It is time for the lectures at the main hall. As they are compulsory, Zhao Weixin never skips them. He might be the weakest disciple, but he is a great student, diligent and hardworking.]
'Ah.' Yu Qingyu's expression relaxed, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. 'Makes sense. I guess in a way that makes him the most…'
Suddenly, he paused in the middle of the sentence, as something on the training ground caught his eye.
Xue Molin and Han Yanwu were currently engaged in an intense sparring session. Swiftly moving around, their swords constantly clashed, filling the air with loud, metallic clangs. Although both of them were supposed to be evenly matched, at least according to the information Yu Qingyu received from the system, Xue Molin was slowly gaining the upper hand in the fight.
But that wasn't the most important. Xue Molin, despite being energetic and cheerful, with an elated smile on his face, brought forward by the adrenaline coursing through his veins… Had visible shadows under his eyes. Which were most definitely not there on the previous day.
Dark shadows under the eyes, indicating a lack of quality sleep. A trait that both Liu Wei, as well as Ye Chaodan after being taken over by Liu Wei, shared.
Of course, that didn't necessarily mean that Xue Molin was the Liu Wei of this world. There was still a chance that it was simply a coincidence… Having shadows under the eyes was not a trait exclusive to Liu Wei, after all.
But it was enough to put Yu Qingyu on guard. Visiting other Peak Masters could wait. First, he had to examine the suspect right in front of his eyes.
He observed the fight scrutinizingly. Xue Molin and Han Yanwu did seem to notice his arrival, but they continued to spar, maintaining their focus on each other's every move. Xue Molin moved around swiftly, with impressive agility, his every step, every slash, every kick, were all quick and decisive. His ponytail danced in the air, the hem of his tunic swirling around. As the material of his uniform shifted, it lightly showcased the muscular form hidden underneath. His honey-colored skin glistened in the sun, a droplet of sweat trickling down his neck, only to sink behind his collar.
It was truly a beautiful spectacle to watch. Yu Qingyu couldn't take his eyes off him, forgetting even to analyze his moves. Not that he would be able to discover much, anyway. He had seen Liu Wei fight barely a few times before. Even with Gu Huiji's knowledge of martial arts implemented in his head, he still would have difficulty spotting any hints of Liu Wei's fighting style in Xue Molin's moves.
Meanwhile, as Yu Qingyu was being completely taken away by the sight, Xue Molan managed to knock Han Yanwu off balance. Han Yanwu crashed down on the ground with a loud thud. As he looked back up, he saw the tip of a sword pointed at his throat.
"I give up," he said with a sigh.
The corners of Xue Molin's mouth lifted in a cheerful smile, as he sheathed his sword and offered his opponent a hand, helping him get up off the ground. Then, he turned around, and sprinted toward Yu Qingyu.
"Shizun! Did you see that!? How did I do? I did well, didn't I?" he laughed happily, flashing a satisfied grin, his onyx eyes turned into crescents.
Yu Qingyu snapped right out of his daze, and looked down at his disciple. Although Xue Molin was tall, the body Yu Qingyu currently occupied was even taller, making him look at everyone from above. This sudden change of perspective made him feel rather odd.
"Mn, not bad. But you still have a long way to go." He nodded at his disciple. Although his words didn't contain much praise, Xue Molin seemed satisfied with the answer.
Of course, Yu Qingyu's emotions were very different inside from what he displayed on his face. To be precise, his heart was beating loudly. So loudly, that he was afraid someone might hear, and unconsciously took a step back, putting more distance between Xue Molin and himself.
Partially it was because of the enchanting fight he's just seen. But mostly, because now that they were so close, he could notice a hint of dark and cold expression in Xue Molin's eyes.
Aside from that, however, Xue Molin, or perhaps rather Liu Wei, still acted as a good disciple should. He might have not figured out Yu Qingyu's identity yet. And definitely did not suspect that his own identity had been exposed.