The abundant forests and fields stretched in all directions, adorned by a winding river, resembling a blue ribbon. The mountain ridges were already left far behind, slowly disappearing in the distance, hiding behind the horizon. Small settlements were visible here and there. On a clear, beautiful day like that, it painted a breathtaking picture.
But Yu Qingyu, gliding through the air high above the ground, was hardly able to appreciate it. Although he never thought he had any fear of heights, not any more than an average person, somehow, standing on his sword, he was feeling weak in the knees. Unable to fully appreciate the views, he kept his eyes on the blue skies, only forcing himself to look down once in a while, to ensure that he was following the river toward Hushi town.
Suddenly, a gust of wind hit him from behind, almost knocking him off balance. It was caused by a youth clad in a purple uniform, who flew by at the speed of lighting, abruptly halting right in front of Yu Qingyu.
It was, of course, Liu Wei. Not sharing even a speck of Yu Qingyu's apprehension toward the height, he messed around on his sword, speeding up and performing various spins and loops, all while lightly poking fun at Yu Qingyu, whom the mere sight of it almost gave a heart attack.
"Shizun, aren't we going a bit too slow?" Liu Wei asked, his mouth twitching as he barely held back his laughter. "It will take forever to reach Hushi town at this pace!"
Yu Qingyu swayed back and forth for a moment, before finally managing to steady himself back on his sword. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down. He was so terrified that his soul almost left his body. If he were to fall from such height… He'd probably pass out long before even hitting the ground!
Putting on the most neutral expression he could muster, he answered in a still slightly shaking voice, "There is no need to rush so much. Slow down, and enjoy the view. Besides…" He paused, taking a glance behind. "If we go too fast, your shixiong won't be able to keep up."
Despite the moderate speed Yu Qingyu was flying at, Zhao Weixin still ended up falling behind a bit, forcing Yu Qingyu to constantly adjust his pace.
For once, Yu Qingyu was glad that his disciple was so weak. At least it gave him a good excuse as to why they couldn't travel any faster!
"Hmm… Is that so…" Liu Wei practically laid down leisurely on the blade, propping himself up on his elbow, his head resting on his palm. He observed Yu Qingyu scrutinizingly, slightly raising his brows.
Of course, he knew that what Yu Qingyu said was just an excuse. Even if Zhao Weixin was not with them, Yu Qingyu wouldn't be able to fly any faster. But as a disciple, he couldn't exactly point it out, or make fun of his Shizun openly, not if he wanted to maintain his facade.
They continued flying ahead in silence. Liu Wei didn't take his eyes off Yu Qingyu not even for a moment, mulling over how to probe him about his mission without alarming the man. "Shizun, why did you suddenly decide to take Weixin-shixiong on a mission?" he asked finally.
"Hmm?" Yu Qingyu, who was focusing on starting at a single point on the horizon to remain calm, snapped out of his thoughts. "Because Weixin lacks practice the most out of all of you, despite being the oldest. If things keep going that way, it will negatively impact his future. As a master, I need to ensure that all of my disciples are at least capable of defending themselves. You will understand one day," he explained, his voice calm and confident.
Of course, as a master, he had absolutely no obligation to explain himself in front of Liu Wei. But not giving any answer might arouse even more suspicions. The risk of Liu Wei trying to sabotage the mission was already way too high.
Liu Wei kept staring at him for quite a while, until finally he let out a sigh, and turned his eyes toward the sky instead.
***
After they arrived in Hushi town, Yu Qingyu sent his disciples to investigate, while he settled himself in the inn. The long flight made him feel light-headed, and he needed to get some rest, especially if he might have to fight demons later. Moreover, he wanted to see how much Zhao Weixin was actually capable of. From the beginning, his goal was to observe, and act only when necessary.
The results were much better than expected. At least when it came to investigating and theoretical knowledge, Zhao Weixin did not disappoint. He asked around the town, inquiring about all the victims, the locations where the attacks took place, the timing, and all the circumstances surrounding it, gathering a lot of useful information. Based on that, he managed to deduce that there was one demon around, of a lower class, and where it was likely to attack next.
Listening to his report, Yu Qingyu nodded lightly, the corners of his mouth rising a bit. Zhao Weixin handled the task so efficiently, that Yu Qingyu's hopes regarding his mission immediately went up. As long as he improved his martial arts a bit, he would make a great candidate for the Peak Master!
"Good job," he praised his disciple. "Get some rest now. We're gonna move after the nightfall. I want you to try to handle the demon yourself. But don't worry, me and Molin will be with you, to support you when needed."
"Yes, Shizun." Zhao Weixin bowed and excused himself. Just like Yu Qingyu, the flight drained him a bit, but having to investigate, he didn't have a chance to rest yet. Being dismissed, he went straight to his room and took a nap.
"Shizun is not even going to ask me what I have discovered?" Liu Wei, who was sitting quietly, sipping green tea, suddenly interjected.
Yu Qingyu, who has been secretly trying to ignore him as much as possible, turned his sight toward him for the first time since his disciples came back to the inn. "Is there something you want to add?" he asked in a neutral tone.
Liu Wei's dark gaze seemed to pierce right through him, giving Yu Qingyu chills. There was something deeply unsettling in his eyes. "…Not really." Liu Wei maintained eye contact for a while longer, before turning his eyes away, seemingly disinterested.
Yu Qingyu, however, kept staring at him, queasiness slowly creeping into his heart. If he had nothing to say, then why did he speak up in the first place?
Yu Qingyu had a bad feeling about it.