In the dungeon,
Mi Xingzhe curled up, his body trembling uncontrollably. Even the slightest movement caused him unbearable pain, making him gasp for breath. Perhaps due to his weakened state and excessive blood loss, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Mi Xingzhe tried desperately to stay awake, for the torment in his dreams was far worse than his physical suffering. He wasn't afraid of Nan Zhe's repeated humiliations and torture, but he couldn't face the cruel words spoken by his closest ones, even if he knew they were merely illusions. Each word pierced his heart like a twisted blade.
A tear slid from the corner of his eye, leaving a clear streak on his dirty face. He hadn't cried even when beaten by traffickers, but this tear was filled with helplessness and despair. If it were before, his master would come to save him, but now, who would rescue him?
Unknowingly, Mi Xingzhe fell asleep.
Finding himself back in the pitch-black dreamscape, Mi Xingzhe helplessly knelt on the ground. He feared seeing Yun Qingyi's hateful death repeatedly and didn't want to watch his father coldly throw him to the ground over and over, nor see his grandfather turn into white bones, his cane stabbing at him endlessly.
"Nian'er."
"Master!" Hearing Li Luoning's voice, Mi Xingzhe frantically searched around, hoping his master had really found him.
"Nian'er." Another call.
"Master! Master, save me," Mi Xingzhe shouted, running aimlessly in the dark dreamscape. He felt like he had collided with something and turned to see Li Luoning standing behind him, with little Bingo by his side.
"Nian'er, why... are you still alive?" Li Luoning's gentle face uttered words that stabbed into Mi Xingzhe's heart.
"Mas... Master, what are you saying?" Mi Xingzhe couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You killed my favorite disciple, caused the deaths of the Medicine King and the Yanding Dragon King, and constantly brought trouble upon me. Since I took you in, my troubles have never ceased," Li Luoning said, step by step advancing on Mi Xingzhe, who retreated in disbelief.
As Li Luoning's tone grew more accusatory, little Bingo's gentle blue light turned into a growing dark green smoke, resembling the monstrous form Mi Xingzhe had seen at Nan Zhe's residence.
"You caused me to lose my Blazing Pill. Since you came to The Liao Yin Immortal Realm, haven't you brought enough trouble?" Li Luoning's expression turned from gentle to increasingly furious. He raised his hand and slapped Mi Xingzhe hard. The large Bingo behind him bared its fangs and moved closer.
"Master, please stop, I beg you. Bingo, don't turn into that," Mi Xingzhe pleaded, stumbling and falling to his knees.
"...I'm sorry."
Since that day, Yun Qingyi had become a scar that Mi Xingzhe could never erase. He owed Li Luoning a debt of gratitude and Yun Qingyi a life. Mi Xingzhe knew this well, and now his heart shattered like glass under a crushing stone.
"I want to see you suffer, to watch you die. Only your death can repay my beloved disciple!" Li Luoning's eyes flared with madness, turning bloodshot with a crazed look.
"No, Master, this isn't you. You wouldn't treat me like this," Mi Xingzhe's voice trembled, tears welling as he shook his head in denial, retreating further.
"I'm not? Then who am I?" Li Luoning grabbed Mi Xingzhe's arms, bringing his face close, his eyes filled with cruel amusement. His dry lips curled mockingly.
"I... I don't know. Let me go, let me go!" Mi Xingzhe shouted, struggling to break free.
"Shall I remind you?" A cold voice drifted over. The gentle Li Luoning suddenly transformed into the black-clad, stern-faced Li Minghan, his eyes cold and bloodthirsty.
"How can it be you?"
"Why not? Don't forget, you carry my power. So in a way, I'm your half-master. You're just a half-immortal, half-demon mongrel!" Li Minghan slapped Mi Xingzhe's chest, sending him flying several meters.
Mi Xingzhe landed painfully, clutching his chest. He struggled to speak,
"I'm not afraid of you."
Li Minghan's figure flashed before Mi Xingzhe, his eyes narrowed,
"Shall I remind you of the pleasure you felt killing Yun Qingyi?" He gripped Mi Xingzhe's face tightly.
"It was you! You did it! I didn't kill Qingyi, I didn't!" Mi Xingzhe's eyes widened in realization. He reached out to grab Li Minghan, but his figure dissolved into mist.
Li Minghan's mocking laughter echoed in Mi Xingzhe's ears, like ice spikes drilling into his eardrums.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Don't laugh, don't laugh anymore!" Mi Xingzhe screamed, swinging his arms wildly, trying to dispel Li Minghan's phantom, finally collapsing in despair, sobbing.
At Nan Zhe's residence,
"Where is he?" Nan Zhe looked at the open door of the guest room, empty inside, and questioned the ghost servant beside him.
"Are you looking for me?" Li Luoning's voice came from the roof.
Nan Zhe looked up to see Li Luoning sitting leisurely with a jug of wine.
"Brother Piaocheng, you do enjoy high places," Nan Zhe remarked, effortlessly leaping onto the roof.
"The ground isn't safe," Li Luoning said, taking a sip of wine.
"Your habit reminds me of a friend of mine. You even resemble him a bit," Nan Zhe said, eyeing Li Luoning.
"Oh? Where is this friend of yours now? Would you introduce us?"
"I haven't seen him in a long time. I'm not even sure if he's still alive," Nan Zhe said, emphasizing the last words.
Li Luoning chuckled silently, pondering for a moment before saying, "The wine in your residence is rich in flavor, but it lacks a bit of fragrance."
——
"Oh? Has Brother Piaocheng tasted better wine than what I have here at my residence?" Nan Zhe asked with a raised eyebrow.
Li Luoning tossed over a small bottle of fruit wine. "I am just a wild mountain man with few hobbies. Even the fruit wine I brew casually is much better than this forgetfulness wine from your residence. Would you like to try some?"
Nan Zhe looked at the small bottle in his hand and couldn't help but chuckle. "Sure." He drank the fruit wine in one go.
As night fell, Nan Zhe pretended to be drunk and returned to his room. As soon as he stepped inside, he used his inner power to expel the alcohol from his body.
"Child's play," Nan Zhe scoffed.
Hiding in the shadows, Li Luoning kept a close eye on Nan Zhe's door. The wine he gave Nan Zhe was indeed laced with a drug, but given Nan Zhe's cultivation, it was ineffective. Li Luoning's true intention was to include a long-lasting aromatic spice in the wine. With his keen sense of smell, he could easily track where Nan Zhe had been. The longer Nan Zhe stayed in a place, the stronger the scent would become.
Just after midnight, Nan Zhe left his room and headed toward the back mountain. Li Luoning followed quietly.
He watched Nan Zhe enter a cave and waited a while before following. The cave was cold and dark, with no light and only the occasional sound of dripping water. Li Luoning searched the cave, finding the scent lingering before a wall.
"It seems there's a hidden door here," Li Luoning muttered, knocking around until he accidentally pressed a small stone, and the door opened.
He quickly stepped into the secret chamber, which turned out to be a bedroom.
"Even his sleeping quarters are so cautious?" Li Luoning wondered at the sight of the room's setup.
He looked around and found Nan Zhe's recently changed clothes on a screen and another door at the other end of the room.
Pushing it open, he followed the path and found himself outside the cave.
"This is... Jiuling?"
Looking at the landscape outside the cave, Li Luoning was puzzled. "Why would Nan Zhe build a secret passage to Jiuling? Given the wear on the door, it must have been used for a long time. If one needed to go to Fanli Valley or Ice Bamboo Forest, the route through The Flatland would be much closer. If one has to pass through Jiuling, the only destination would be The Liao Yin Immortal Realm. Could he... be from The Liao Yin Immortal Realm?" Li Luoning began to doubt Nan Zhe's true identity.
"I should find Nian'er first." Li Luoning decided not to pursue Nan Zhe further, returning the way he came. As he passed the bedroom again, he noticed a painting on the wall.
"The Fairy of the Empty Valley?" Li Luoning recognized the only piece of art in the dim room.
In The Liao Yin Immortal Realm, SiTu Fanzhi was handling official matters in his study,
"Xiao Fanzi, Xiao Fanzi~"
Hearing the voice, SiTu Fanzhi was momentarily stunned, unsure if the voice was from who he thought it was. He set aside his work and walked towards the door, just as Jia Gu Qing burst into the courtyard with several celestial soldiers trailing behind.
"Immortal Lord, we couldn't stop him," the lead celestial soldier reported.
SiTu Fanzhi waved them off, signaling them to retreat.
"Ah, Xiao Fanzi, so you're here. Come on, come on, let's drink," Jia Gu Qing said, grabbing SiTu Fanzhi by the wrist and pulling him along.
"Senior Brother, Senior Brother~" SiTu Fanzhi managed to push away Jia Gu Qing's grip after being pulled forward a few steps. "Why have you come so suddenly? Is there something urgent?" He couldn't recall a time when his reclusive senior brother sought him out without reason.
"My wine is finished, and I know you must have plenty of good wine here. Come on, let me have a look," Jia Gu Qing said impatiently.
"Since Senior Brother is in such high spirits, I'll have someone prepare some fine wine and food for us," SiTu Fanzhi said, knowing he couldn't refuse, and instructed a nearby celestial attendant to make the preparations.
After a short while, SiTu Fanzhi and Jia Gu Qing were seated across from each other in a pavilion,
"Why the sudden visit, Senior Brother?" SiTu Fanzhi asked, pouring a cup of wine.
"I got bored in that peach blossom grove, so I decided to come here for a change. What? Not welcome?" Jia Gu Qing said, taking a sip.
"Senior Brother rarely visits, so how could you not be welcome? I know you don't like to be disturbed, so I seldom visit you. It's my fault," SiTu Fanzhi said with a smile.
A celestial attendant approached SiTu Fanzhi and whispered something to him,
"Tell him to come another day," SiTu Fanzhi instructed seriously, then turned back to Jia Gu Qing with a smile.
Jia Gu Qing glanced at the attendant, a hint of mischief in his eyes,
"This celestial attendant must be very diligent, serving you well. Here, a reward," Jia Gu Qing said, taking a silk pouch from his robe and handing it over.
The attendant looked at SiTu Fanzhi in confusion,
"Don't just stand there, take it," SiTu Fanzhi said.
"Thank you... thank you," the attendant stammered, unsure of how to react.
"Thank me? I should thank you for taking care of my junior brother. You can have half a day off. No need to serve us further," Jia Gu Qing said, waving the attendant away.
The attendant looked to SiTu Fanzhi for confirmation. Seeing him nod, the attendant left.
Back at Nan Zhe's residence, Li Luoning was worrying about how to find where Nan Zhe was holding Mi Xingzhe when he saw a ghost servant carrying a food box out the back door.
"It's past lunch. Where is he taking food now?" Sensing something unusual, Li Luoning followed silently.
The ghost servant arrived at the dungeon entrance on the back mountain, exchanged greetings with the guards, and entered.
"If they have guards, they must be holding someone important," Li Luoning thought, deciding to force his way in since Nan Zhe wasn't around.
After knocking out the guards, Li Luoning quickly entered the dungeon.
In the dim, damp dungeon, several guards were chatting with the ghost servant who had brought the food,
"Hey, demoness, today's food looks good," one guard said, eyeing the dishes hungrily.
"How's that guy inside?" the demoness asked, glancing into the darkness.
"That guy?" The guard pointed deeper into the dungeon. "He looks frail but has a strong will. First time I've seen our lord personally torturing someone. It was brutal, but the guy didn't make a sound. Must be tough, but too bad. No one ever leaves here alive," the guard said.
"Didn't you know?" Another guard holding a bowl of rice chimed in. "That's the guy with the Floating Light Golden Seal. Our lord wants that seal, which is why he's keeping him here."
"No wonder he's so tough. But what's strange is that our lord beat him so badly, yet the past few days, he screams and cries every time he falls asleep. It's driving us crazy," another guard complained.
Hearing this, Li Luoning clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, unable to listen any longer. He swiftly knocked out the guards and hurried deeper into the dungeon.
The dark dungeon reeked of blood. Behind a wooden cell door, Mi Xingzhe lay curled on the ground, his face streaked with dried tears. His lips were cracked and bleeding, his neck covered in scratch marks. His breathing was faint, barely discernible except for occasional twitches of his body.