SiTu Fanzhi, already somewhat drunk after three rounds of wine, found himself swaying unsteadily. Jia Gu Qing, even more inebriated, staggered and eventually tossed the unconscious SiTu Fanzhi onto the bed, mumbling,
"Drinking with you, you still can't beat me," before stumbling out of SiTu Fanzhi's room.
Outside Mirror Cloud Residence, Qingyuan anxiously looked around and quickly hid upon hearing a sound.
"Come out, silly boy."
Jia Gu Qing, now entirely sober, weighed the token he had stolen from SiTu Fanzhi.
"Senior, did you get it?" Qingyuan asked urgently upon seeing Jia Gu Qing.
Jia Gu Qing ignored him, turning back to enter Mirror Cloud Residence, with Qingyuan following closely behind.
Back at Nan Zhe's dungeon,
Li Luoning looked at the severely injured and delirious Mi Xingzhe, his heart aching. Just as he was about to wake him, he heard Mi Xingzhe weakly mutter,
"Master, don't..."
"Nian Nian, don't what?" Li Luoning asked softly. Mi Xingzhe showed no response, repeating the same words over and over.
Li Luoning checked Mi Xingzhe's pulse, transferring some spiritual energy to him to wake him.
"Nian Nian, wake up, wake up," Li Luoning urged, gently shaking him, but his hand came away warm and sticky with blood. Using the dim light, he saw that Mi Xingzhe's back was covered in whip marks.
"Even with the Floating Light Golden Seal, how is he so badly injured?" Li Luoning wondered, frowning as he tried to sense the weak aura of Mi Xingzhe's golden core.
His eyes caught something embedded in Mi Xingzhe's shoulder. Reaching out, he discovered another Soul Fixing Nail deeply lodged in the flesh, barely noticeable except for an occasional glint of gold.
Li Luoning quickly propped up the still unconscious Mi Xingzhe, sealing his meridians, and used his power to slowly extract the nail. Each inch it moved, Mi Xingzhe's face contorted in pain.
"Brother, it hurts," Mi Xingzhe mumbled in his delirium.
Li Luoning's heart tightened. Seeing Mi Xingzhe tortured beyond recognition, he didn't hesitate to use all his strength to remove the last inch of the nail. With a scream of pain, Mi Xingzhe's eyes flew open.
"Master." Mi Xingzhe called out before collapsing onto Li Luoning's shoulder, unconscious again.
Inside Mirror Cloud Residence,
"Hurry up, hurry up, did you find it?" Jia Gu Qing lounged in a chair, urging the frantic Qingyuan.
"Found it!" Qingyuan exclaimed, holding up a small bottle of medicine.
Jia Gu Qing's eyes gleamed as he took the bottle, tossing the token to Qingyuan.
"Who dares trespass in a forbidden place?" a clear voice called from outside.
Jia Gu Qing signaled to Qingyuan, who immediately leaped out the back window.
Jia Gu Qing casually opened the door and stepped out,
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" O Shinan asked warily.
"Hey! Who are you? The owner of this place? Mind your own business," Jia Gu Qing retorted, striding away from Mirror Cloud Residence.
"Sneaky bastard, trying to escape," O Shinan muttered, launching an attack towards Jia Gu Qing's back.
Jia Gu Qing easily dodged and lightly pushed O Shinan's elbow.
O Shinan stumbled but quickly regained his balance and attacked again. Jia Gu Qing evaded effortlessly, hands in his sleeves, and nudged O Shinan's backside with his foot.
O Shinan nearly fell face-first but managed to stay upright. Jia Gu Qing sniffed disdainfully, seemingly catching a scent.
Annoyed, O Shinan drew his sword and thrust at Jia Gu Qing.
Catching O Shinan's wrist, Jia Gu Qing confirmed the scent came from O Shinan,
"A man, and you smell like this."
He disdainfully spread O Shinan's hand, dodging every attack with ease.
"Boring, play by yourself," Jia Gu Qing said, pushing O Shinan's face and disappearing before O Shinan could react.
O Shinan, fuming, threw his sword to the ground, wondering,
"Who could move so freely in The Liao Yin Immortal Realm?"
SiTu Fanzhi's Drunken Dream,
"Senior Brother, if you could one day lead the immortal sect..." Young SiTu Fanzhi sat next to young Jia Gu Qing, their legs dangling over a cliff, watching the scenery.
"I don't want to lead any sect. I'd rather be a carefree immortal, living with nature. Managing sect affairs is more suitable for you," young Jia Gu Qing replied.
"But Master won't pass the leadership to me," young SiTu Fanzhi muttered, looking down.
"Don't worry, I have a plan. Just focus on your cultivation," young Jia Gu Qing said with a smile.
Years later,
"Outrageous!" In the Hall of Purity, the old Immortal Lord shattered his teacup in anger, shards cutting young Jia Gu Qing's face. Unflinching, Jia Gu Qing knelt resolutely.
"Master, leading the sect requires severing seven emotions and six desires, prioritizing the world above all. Qing'er has broken the precepts and is unfit for this responsibility. Please find another," young Jia Gu Qing said firmly.
"Would you abandon the world for those animals and plants?" the old Immortal Lord asked.
"Master, your heart is with the world. I am ashamed. But each has their own path. Why force it? I am not fit to deal with worldly matters," young Jia Gu Qing replied.
"Qing'er, don't you understand? You and Fanzhi are my only disciples. Fanzhi's desires make him unfit to lead, leaving you as the only suitable choice," the old Immortal Lord said.
"Why not? If the heart remains steadfast, there is no change. Fanzhi is diligent and wise, why can't he be a virtuous leader?" Jia Gu Qing asked.
"If he fails to understand, he will betray his virtue," the old Immortal Lord sighed.
Eavesdropping, young SiTu Fanzhi's eyes filled with resentment.
Soon after, Jia Gu Qing disappeared. The old Immortal Lord passed away, and SiTu Fanzhi became the leader, maintaining peace.
"Qing'er, you lack emotions and desires, unfit for ascension. Fanzhi's strong ambition may change the Three Realms," the old Immortal Lord said, worried.
"Don't worry, Master. Though I may not ascend, I'll stay to ensure my brother doesn't fail your hopes," young Jia Gu Qing promised.
"Immortal Lord, O Shinan seeks an audience," a servant's voice woke SiTu Fanzhi from his dream.
"Have him wait in the study," SiTu Fanzhi replied impatiently, shaking his head. The lingering effects of last night's drinking left him slightly dizzy today.
In SiTu Fanzhi's study...
"Immortal Lord, did you know someone trespassed into Mirror Cloud Residence today?" O Shinan got straight to the point.
Hearing this, SiTu Fanzhi instinctively reached for the token at his waist,
"Damn it!" Realizing the token was missing, he quickly stood up and headed outside.
"Greetings, Immortal Lord." He was met by the war god Qingyuan at the door.
"Qingyuan? Have you found any trace of the master and disciple?" SiTu Fanzhi asked, thinking Qingyuan had news about Li Luoning.
"Immortal Lord, I did locate Li Luoning's hiding place, but it seems he sensed something. By the time I arrived, they were already gone," Qingyuan reported.
"So you didn't find them?" O Shinan mocked from the side.
Qingyuan glared at O Shinan before continuing, "However, today, a patrolling celestial soldier reported finding this in the Moon Pavilion. Immortal Lord, did you visit the Moon Pavilion yesterday?" Qingyuan presented the token and asked.
SiTu Fanzhi examined the token, his eyes narrowing suspiciously at Qingyuan before taking it back.
"Anything else?"
"No."
"Then you may go," SiTu Fanzhi waved Qingyuan away, returning to the study with O Shinan.
"How did the Immortal Lord's token end up in the Moon Pavilion?" O Shinan asked, closing the study door behind them.
SiTu Fanzhi knew Jia Gu Qing had taken the token while he was drunk but couldn't understand why he needed it to enter Mirror Cloud Residence.
"You said someone broke into Mirror Cloud Residence today?" SiTu Fanzhi set the token aside and asked.
"Yes, I encountered him, but I was no match. He didn't seem like one of us from The Liao Yin Immortal Realm," O Shinan said.
SiTu Fanzhi pondered, "What was Senior Brother doing at Mirror Cloud Residence?" But thinking of Jia Gu Qing's unruly nature, he didn't delve too deeply,
"He's an old friend of mine, just likes to wander around. No need to worry."
"Did you have something to discuss with me?"
"Immortal Lord, are you aware that Yun Wan Nian's Floating Light Golden Seal is currently dormant?" O Shinan fanned himself as he spoke.
"Dormant?"
"The Floating Light Golden Seal requires one of the twin pills to constantly supply spiritual energy. If used alone, it easily exhausts its power and enters dormancy. I heard that Yun Wan Nian was injured recently in The Flatland, and the seal exhausted all its energy protecting him. Now is the best time to take it," O Shinan's gentle voice carried a cold undertone.
"That's good news. But didn't you say the best time for the Blazing Pill was during the Midyear Festival?"
"Midyear Festival is a good day, but why wait when the opportunity is now?" O Shinan smiled.
SiTu Fanzhi nodded, thinking for a moment, "So you know where they are now?"
"I don't, but..." O Shinan paused, looking at SiTu Fanzhi, "Immortal Lord, you are wise. You don't need me to find them. They are fugitives now, and if Yun Wan Nian was injured in The Flatland, where else could they go?" O Shinan asked, covering his face with his fan.
"Jiuling?!"
Jiuling's layered peaks and connecting mountain ranges made it an ideal hiding place.
Li Luoning had rescued Mi Xingzhe and hidden him in a cave. Mi Xingzhe, still suffering from the Heart Hidden Flower and severe injuries, remained unconscious.
"Go away, go away, don't come near. Shut up, all of you, shut up, I don't want to hear, don't want to hear..." Mi Xingzhe cried out hoarsely in his nightmare, thrashing about.
"Nian Nian, Nian Nian, calm down. Master is here, don't be afraid. It's okay," Li Luoning hurried to Mi Xingzhe's side with a bowl of freshly fetched water, gently lifting him and soothing him.
"Master... Master..." Hearing Li Luoning's voice, Mi Xingzhe slowly calmed down, tears streaming from the corners of his eyes. He murmured in his sleep, "Master, don't abandon me. I have nothing left but you. Master... I'm sorry, Qingyi..."
Mi Xingzhe's words were like a sword piercing Li Luoning's heart. Watching the still unconscious Mi Xingzhe, Li Luoning felt guilty, realizing his past mistake had become Mi Xingzhe's haunting nightmare.
"Nian Nian, I would never abandon you. You are Qingyi's trust to me. It's my fault," Li Luoning said, his voice full of remorse. He reached to wipe away Mi Xingzhe's tears.
"No, I didn't, Qingyi, no, no~" Mi Xingzhe fell back into his nightmare, waving his hands frantically, trying to dispel the visions. His body trembled as if plunged into an icy abyss, and then he suddenly went silent, biting his lip.
Li Luoning, holding the frightened Mi Xingzhe, noticed the silence and smelled blood. He pushed Mi Xingzhe back to see his tightly bitten lip, his face red with effort and pain.
"Nian Nian, let go," Li Luoning urged, pinching Mi Xingzhe's cheeks, but Mi Xingzhe couldn't hear him, only biting down harder, blood seeping from his mouth.
"Nian Nian... Nian Nian... ugh..." Li Luoning tried to pry Mi Xingzhe's mouth open, placing his fingers between Mi Xingzhe's lips, letting him bite down on his hand.