"A human," Wu Xuan said, then shrugged. "Anyway, that's none of my business." "Are you sure?" Meng Zhi inquired, following Lingyu's gaze. "If she's caught, she won't be spared."
"Her trading here indicates she's been around for some time. We can't afford to waste time. Let's go, Lingyu," Wu Xuan urged, but Yu Lingyu remained still. "Fortune thread," he murmured, pointing in the direction the girl had fled. "Fortune thread, Da Ge!"
Wu Xuan sighed. "Alright, just this once," he conceded. "Murong Meng, fetch the token."
"It's Meng Zhi, you fool!"
"Token..." Lingyu murmured, smiling. It seemed to calm Meng Zhi. "We'll reconvene here. Remember that." With those words, he turned and vanished into the throng.
"We should depart as well, Lingyu." They pivoted and made their way back through the crowd. Lingyu's gaze was fixed on the radiant red lanterns, while Wu Xuan searched for the girl. "This is futile. It's akin to searching for a needle in a haystack," he muttered. Simultaneously, Wu Xuan felt an unseen force tugging at his right hand. The fortune thread on his wrist throbbed with a soft yet bright red glow. Releasing his hold, he allowed the thread to guide him onwards.
As he extended his right hand, he tightly clutched Yu Lingyu's hand with his left, as though he feared losing him. They zigzagged right and left before halting in front of a vast, shadowy, abandoned mansion. The place, devoid of light, was strewn with ruins. Wu Xuan's right hand felt a firm tug, pulling him swiftly forward. The sight of the mansion stirred a sense of familiarity in Wu Xuan; he recognized the large, charred edifice from somewhere. Hearing distant footsteps, Wu Xuan, drawn by Lingyu, slipped into a nearby crumbling house.
He positioned himself by a window, quietly observing the outside. The footsteps drew nearer, belonging to figures clad in tall black boots and maroon robes. "What in the world is the Lotus sect doing here?" Wu Xuan whispered to himself. As they pushed open the mansion's gates, ensuring the coast was clear, they slipped inside.
Wu Xuan recognized the gravity of the situation, yet retreat was not an option. Lingyu's desire to see the girl again was apparent, and Wu Xuan was unwilling to disappoint him. Moving away from the window, he placed a hand on Lingyu's shoulder. With a tilt of his head, Lingyu resembled a curious kitten. "Listen closely, Lingyu," Wu Xuan murmured. "Stay right here, don't move," he instructed, emphasizing with a hand gesture. "Wait here until I return." Lingyu gave a slow nod in understanding.
Wu Xuan conjured a protective barrier around Lingyu before stepping out of the humble abode. His mind searched for any recollection of the mansion, but it eluded him. Instead, Han Ziying's counsel echoed in his thoughts.
"If you see an abandoned house and think it has a mystery, never enter it. Life is more important." Han Zi Ying said like a mature mentor instructing his student. Xiao Hai nodded his head with an expressionless face and agreed.
Wu Xuan slapped his hand on his forehead. "That damn Zi Ying." As much as he hated to admit it, Zi Ying's warnings were often true. With a sigh, Wu Xuan entered through the decayed wooden gate, taking care not to make any noise. Huge cobwebs were tied on the half-burnt logs that were piled up. The yard was overgrown with weeds and the main door of the house was little open. A gloomy candlelight pulsed from it and a few voices drifted out.
"What a bunch of idiots! Is this a bad time for the Wen sect?" boomed a deep voice. Wu Xuan edged closer to the house. "They will never find their way out."
"Even so, it's quite sad. I wish that scoundrel Wu Xuan had been the one trapped instead of Wei Yunhe," remarked another voice. Wu Xuan didn't understand their words, but he sensed they were far from positive.
"Wasn't it the person who was with Wu Xuan that day, Lingyi or something, who entered first? I heard Wei Yunhe held him in high regard. It's no surprise he took such risks for the boy."
For a moment, Wu Xuan was frozen in shock. He had completely forgotten about Yu Lingyu, who was at the Wen Sect. Moreover, something had occurred that should not have.
"Never underestimate Wei Yunhe. And that villain San Jie as well. He managed to kill two of our most formidable members without leaving any evidence," someone bellowed in anger.
San Jie? killed? Wu Xuan was confused again. He knew San Jie was rough on the outside. But his spiritual power was significantly weakened. San Jie was not at a level where he could even scratch high-level assassins let alone kill them. But it is true. It was true that Wu Xuan was surprised to find San Jie unharmed in the Crimson Phoenix Pavilion that day. But what they just said is absolutely impossible.
But that was not the problem. Wu Xuan wanted to know what happened to Yu Lingyu. The feeling that there would be no trace of him when he came back scared Wu Xuan to the core.
"Hey silly girl, did you do what we told you to do?" Someone said in a harsh voice. Wu Xuan slowly peeked through the open part of the door. The girl he met earlier was curled up in a corner inside the house. "N-no one was there. I looked...no one," she said, trembling with fear. Wu Xuan didn't notice it before, but she was covered in scars. Some were recent and some were very old.
"Huh?! Are you saying you haven't found a single one in a city full of these spirits?" Someone standing up said grabbing her robe and pulling her. As she stumbled backward, it tore open, exposing her bare skin. "You obnoxious bitch can't even do a little work!" Grabbing her by the hair, the man pushed her against the wall. "Today I will teach you a lesson."
"Wow, what a sight to see here?" The door quickly swung fully open with a strong gust of wind. The candles in the center went out adding to the darkness. But the light from the candle lit in the corner of the room was more than enough to tell who he was. The girl's eyes filled with a sense of pleading and a sense of comfort at the same time.
Holding his sword close to his chest without taking it out of its scabbard, Wu Xuan stepped out onto the doorpost and stared at them. This was another lesson from Han Zi Ying that Xiao Hai and Wu Xuan had learned: to enter battle with the poise of a hero.
"Wu… Wu Xuan?!" They were frightened as if they had seen a terrible demon. Involuntarily they took a few steps back and drew their swords. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Wu Xuan closed his eyes and smiled. "Before that, would you please explain what you said?" He said in a soft voice, but it wasn't a request at all. It felt like the calm before the storm.
"Would you explain?" Wu Xuan inquired once more, his smile unwavering. Yet, no one dared to respond.
"I understand," he remarked, his eyes opening wide. The smile gradually disappeared from his face. "You have no desire to explain yourselves," he observed, his gaze piercing forward. In an instant, the individual who had previously assaulted the girl was struck by lightning, unable to react. It wasn't from the sky; the roof remained intact. The attacker dropped to the ground with a heavy thud, while the other two shrank back in terror.
"Wu Xuan! You despicable bastard! DIE!!!" The bald man charged, drawing his sword. Wu Xuan didn't bother to draw his own. He sidestepped, and as the sword struck the doorpost, the bald man was caught in a lightning strike, meeting the same end as his predecessor. The remaining man collapsed, trembling. "Please, don't kill me!" he begged.
Wu Xuan gave him a look of pity. "Will you tell me now?" he inquired calmly. The Lotus Guardian nodded hastily.
"A member of the Wen Sect entered Shangguan Manor. Uh... Wei Yunhe went after him. Shangguan Manor is protected by a powerful security spell. No one can escape once inside," he stuttered. Shangguan Manor! It clicked for Wu Xuan. The rundown mansion bore a resemblance to Shangguan Mansion. "Is there a link between this place and that one?" he questioned.
"There's a portal here, directly connected to the Shangguan Mansion. I swear that's all I know. I don't know its location. Please, spare my life!" the guard pleaded, his head thudding against the ground. Wu Xuan was convinced he was telling the truth. "Thanks! Now get some rest." As he uttered those words, the last person met the same fate as the first two.
The girl inhaled sharply, startled by the abrupt flash of light. Approaching her, Wu Xuan draped the torn fragment of her robe back over her body. "You were bold enough to cast a spell on the fortune threads," he observed. Wu Xuan had always found it odd that she had appeared from nowhere, offering fortune threads exclusively to them.
"Sorry," the girl murmured, gripping the fabric. "I had no one else to turn to for help. But when I saw you, I realized you weren't spirits. I couldn't ask for help directly; they monitored every move I made. I'm sorry for causing any trouble. Thank you so much for coming. Truly, thank you," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. "What did they do to you?" Wu Xuan inquired.
"I possess an unusual vision," the girl explained. "Ever since I was young, I've been able to see the colors of souls in things. When I lost my family, the Lotus Sect took me in. They wanted me to seek out fresh souls, which have a different hue than others. Here, my task was to locate fresh souls and report them," she continued, shedding another tear. "I'm a terrible person."
Wu Xuan recalled Meng Zhi's earlier words about the Lotus Sect's pursuit of fresh souls. It appeared the claim was indeed true.
"Fortune...thread!" The door burst open, startling Wu Xuan. "Yu Lingyu! I told you not to come. Not-to-come!" Wu Xuan yelled in shock. Yu Lingyu approached the little girl. "Hurt..." he murmured, eyes filled with sorrow. He gently placed a hand on her burnt cheek. "It hurt?" he murmured. As the gentle Azure spirit energy flowed into the girl's body, the scars began to slowly disappear. Her burn scar was healing, and her skin was regenerating. After a short while, Yu Lingyu lifted his hand. "No hurt," he whispered joyfully. The girl gazed at him, astonished.
Wu Xuan released a deep sigh. Though he wished to stay and search for the portal, entering 908 was equally crucial. Wei Yunhe had gone to find Lingyu, after all. Wu Xuan was reluctant to admit it, but he had no concerns when Yu Lingyu was with Wei Yunhe. Yunhe was not only a good brother but also a steadfast protector. Moreover, Wu Xuan was confident that he would certainly locate Lingyu. Despite their mutual disdain, it never compromised their trust in one another.
"Let's go," Wu Xuan said. Lingyu was still sitting on the ground, staring at him. "Fortune..." he whispered, pointing at the girl. Wu Xuan didn't need words to understand what he meant. "Haah? We saved her. Now you want to take her with us?" He asked, a look of disbelief on his face. Yu Lingyu smiled. Wu Xuan let out a long sigh as he raised his head towards the ceiling. "Whatever, we should get going now," he said. "You can come if you want to." Glancing at the girl, he grabbed Yu Lingyu's hand. "Thank you!" the girl said with a big smile.
"So, may I ask for your names, sirs?" she asked shyly. Wu Xuan stared in surprise. He was sure the Lotus guards had said it too loudly. "Wu Xuan," he said nonchalantly. "And he is Lingyu."
"Oh, nice to meet you. I am Shangguan Qing."
"Shangguan Qing?! You mean... wait! Are you from that burnt manor?!" Even someone who was not easily shocked like Wu Xuan was deeply shocked. The girl smiled softly. "Yes, from the burnt manor," she confirmed.
"I thought you were all dead!" Wu Xuan blurted out without thinking. Only later did he realize that it was something terrible for her. "Anyway, let's go first," he said, changing the subject. Pulling off an outer robe of a Lotus guard, he threw it to Shangguan. "First, put some clothes on."
It was too long for her, but that wasn't much of a problem at the moment. She had to run to keep up with Wu Xuan's and Lingyu's long strides. Wu Xuan was still a little shocked, but he was somewhat relieved that Han Zi Ying's warnings were not true. All he found in that mansion were three weak fools and a peculiar girl.
Meng Zhi was there when they returned to the place where they had parted. "You idiots!" As soon as he saw Wu Xuan and Yu Lingyu, he stormed over. "Where do you think you're going?! Look at the time!!" He shouted, shaking the token in his right hand.
"Ah, it... I am sorry! It's my fault," Shangguan said, bowing her head so low it nearly touched the ground. Startled by the woman's sudden appearance, Meng Zhi leaped aside. "And...who are you?!" he stammered in fright.
Yet, anger surged within Meng Zhi as he seized Wu Xuan by the collar. "You fool! While I risk my life, you're off enjoying yourself, aren't you?!" he accused.
Wu Xuan responded with irritation. "An idiot tasked me with protecting a yarn seller, yet he fails to recognize her," he retorted disdainfully. Meng Zhi's gaze shifted between Wu Xuan and the young girl, but recognition eluded him. The scar that once marked her face had vanished, revealing someone entirely different.
Chagrined, Meng Zhi released Wu Xuan. "So, did you succeed?" Wu Xuan inquired. Without a word, Meng Zhi tossed the token to Wu Xuan. Wu Xuan had harbored doubts about Meng Zhi's ability to secure the token, contemplating theft if necessary. But Meng Zhi's success rendered such plans obsolete.
"You actually got it," Wu Xuan observed. "You doubted me?!" Meng Zhi snarled though he chose not to dwell on the subject, keen to keep the gambling hall's humiliating events from Wu Xuan.
"So, where is this so-called library now?!"