Ye Qi sat across from Lei Ying, unease creeping into her posture as she watched him raise his teacup to his lips.
His movements were slow, deliberate, and utterly unbothered, as though this conversation were of no consequence to him.
"It seems you've misunderstood me, Miss Ye," Lei Ying said casually, his voice smooth and unhurried.
He placed his teacup back on the table, letting the faint clink of porcelain punctuate his words.
"I don't want your body." He shook his head slightly, as if regretting the very notion. "What I want is your cooperation."
Ye Qi's brows furrowed, suspicion flickering in her eyes. The room felt stifling despite the soft aroma of tea. After a moment of silence, she asked, her tone guarded, "What exactly do you want me to do?"
Lei Ying leaned back, his fingers idly tracing the rim of his cup. Her rudeness didn't faze him; in fact, he seemed amused.
"I want you to help me capture someone," he said, his tone light yet purposeful. "His name is Yun Xiao. I'm certain you've heard of him—or perhaps even met him. I've come to understand that he trusts you quite a lot."
The mention of Yun Xiao's name sent a chill down Ye Qi's spine. Her expression hardened, her voice turning cold.
"Yes, I know Yun Xiao. We explored a ruin together." She hesitated for a moment, her thoughts racing. Yun Xiao had confided in her, told her about offending a powerful figure. And now, sitting before Lei Ying, it all made sense.
Of course, Lei Ying was that figure.
Ye Qi clenched her fists under the table. If she hadn't known Lei Ying's intentions beforehand, she might have considered agreeing to his request. But now, it was impossible.
"I cannot betray his trust," she said firmly, her voice steady despite the growing tension in the air. "If you want to capture him, send your men after him. Don't involve me."
Lei Ying's smile didn't waver. Her refusal seemed to amuse him rather than offend him, as though he had anticipated it all along.
Ye Qi's heart began to race. Lei Ying's silence stretched on, his calm demeanor making her more uneasy with each passing second.
A sense of foreboding washed over her, as though an invisible noose were tightening around her.
What is he planning? she thought, her palms beginning to sweat.
Lei Ying finally spoke, his voice as serene as before, but there was a faint edge to it now. "You misunderstand again, Miss Ye. This isn't a request. It's an opportunity."
Ye Qi's breath hitched, her unease deepening. She could feel the weight of his words pressing down on her, a reminder that Lei Ying was not someone to be trifled with.
"I understand you know a man named Fēng Xiàn," Lei Ying said, his tone light but deliberate, his gaze sharp as it locked onto Ye Qi's.
Ye Qi froze, her expression stiffening as the words sank in. A cold chill spread through her chest, her grip on the teacup faltering.
Her thoughts raced. Fēng Xiàn. How does he know that name? It wasn't possible. To the world, her teacher was Lǎo Shān, a name shrouded in secrecy. Even the sect master, with all his influence, didn't know her teacher's true identity.
Swallowing her rising unease, she spoke, her voice tinged with both suspicion and disbelief. "Who on earth is Fēng Xiàn?"
Lei Ying's lips curled into a subtle, amused smile. He leaned back slightly, the movement casual yet brimming with confidence. "You tell me," he replied, his words as light as the steam rising from his cup.
Ye Qi's hands tightened around the teacup, her throat suddenly dry. She reached for the teapot. "May I?" she asked, her voice quieter now.
"Of course," Lei Ying gestured smoothly toward the teacup before her.
Pouring herself another cup, Ye Qi took a small sip, willing the warmth of the tea to calm her nerves. She placed the cup down carefully, her fingers lingering on the porcelain edge as she fixed Lei Ying with a wary gaze.
"Who on earth is Fēng Xiàn?" she asked again, her tone laced with defiance despite the slight tremor in her voice.
Lei Ying chuckled softly, the sound infuriatingly composed. "Let's just say," he began, his eyes narrowing slightly, "I know more than most. About you. About your teacher."
Her heart pounded in her chest as his words hung in the air, the room growing heavier with each passing second.
"Over the last thousand years, the upper realm has been killing people from the Twelve Desolate Realms,"
Lei Ying began, his tone calm yet laced with an undercurrent of danger. He paused, lifting his teacup to his lips and sipping leisurely.
Ye Qi frowned, confused by his seemingly irrelevant statement.
"And I thought," Lei Ying continued, setting his cup down with a deliberate clink, "I might be able to help them in their cause."
Her confusion deepened, but her instincts screamed that something was amiss.
"Fēng Xiàn is one of those men," Lei Ying said, his voice taking on a sharper edge. "The leader of the East Glasgow Shipyard. He killed a member of my family, and now there's a blood feud between us."
Ye Qi's hands trembled slightly as his words sank in.
"I wonder," Lei Ying mused, his gaze locking onto hers, "what you will do if I report this to my family. Or better yet, if I let the upper realm know exactly where Fēng Xiàn is hiding."
Ye Qi's breath hitched, her teeth gritting as the weight of his words bore down on her. For years, she had wondered why her teacher, despite his immense strength, had not ascended to the upper realm. Now, the pieces were falling into place.
Her teacher wasn't just in hiding—he was being hunted.
"You knew all along," she whispered, her voice tight with suppressed emotion.
Lei Ying's expression remained unreadable, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"What do you want me to do?" Ye Qi demanded, her voice rising slightly, tinged with both anger and desperation.
Lei Ying leaned back in his chair, exuding a languid confidence that only deepened her unease. "I've already told you," he said, his voice light, almost casual. "Work for me."
Ye Qi's eyes narrowed, suspicion flaring once again. "Work for you? How?"
Lei Ying's smile grew wider, and he spoke with deliberate slowness, as if savoring the moment. "All I need is to plant a slave seal in your sea of knowledge."
The casualness of his tone sent a shiver down her spine.
Ye Qi clenched her fists beneath the table, her mind racing. Her teacher had entrusted her with his life, his future, and now Lei Ying was threatening to undo it all with a single revelation.
"You're mad if you think I'll agree to this," she spat, though the tremor in her voice betrayed her fear. Lei Ying sighed, picking up his teacup again.
"Mad? Perhaps," he said, taking another sip. "But we both know you don't have a choice."