Yu Guiya had come looking for a book on alchemy.
Dark clouds were gathering overhead, and it looked as though rain was on the way. Yet just as he was about to leave, he suddenly asked, “Junior Sister Mei, do you have anything else to do today?”
Mei Man still had fasting pills to refine. Although Shen Shushi had told her she could take pills from the Alchemy Pavilion whenever she wished, she couldn’t keep taking advantage of that convenience forever.
After thinking it over, she said, “No.”
“Then would you like to come gather herbs with me? A secret realm opened at the foot of the mountain a few days ago, and I hear quite a few immortal herbs were left behind. They should be somewhere nearby, on Jiyun Mountain.”
“Really?” Mei Man feigned delight, then quickly tempered her smile and said uncertainly, “But would it really be appropriate for me to go? Since they fell out of a secret realm, they must be very valuable. Even if I picked them, they wouldn’t be of much use to me. Why don’t you invite someone else instead? Perhaps… Senior Brother Fan. I happened to hear recently that he’s about to break through to the second level of Foundation Establishment. Once he does, he’ll be able to take on the sect master’s mission, and those immortal herbs might be quite useful to him.”
Yu Guiya was stunned. He hadn’t expected her to think of Fan Zilang at a time like this.
He instinctively looked away and said, “There’s no need. Those herbs wouldn’t be of any use to Zilang either.”
“I see. In that case, it just so happens that we’ll be passing by the Outer Sect Courtyard. I need to return something there. Senior Brother Yu, please wait for me a moment. I’ll go get an umbrella—we might have rain later.”
After Mei Man went upstairs to fetch an umbrella, the two of them headed down the mountain together.
When they passed the Outer Sect Courtyard, she asked Yu Guiya to wait for her at the teleportation array leading down the mountain, then went to the Servant Courtyard.
She looked around, and only after making sure no one was nearby did she sneak inside.
Xie Xu was practicing his swordsmanship. He wielded two swords of different lengths.
The longer sword moved with overwhelming force, while the shorter one was nimble and light.
Sensing someone’s presence, he sheathed his swords and turned to look. At once, he spotted Mei Man tiptoeing through the doorway.
His expression calm, he said, “Manman, if you only wanted to see whether I was still here, you could have looked from a distance. Why go to all the trouble of sneaking in along the wall like a mouse?”
Mei Man ignored him completely and beckoned him over. “Come here.”
Xie Xu walked over.
The two of them stood in a corner by the wall. Mei Man said, “That Fan Zilang is probably plotting to take my life. He’s waiting near the teleportation array right now, and he’s planning to go to Jiyun Mountain. Go wait at the foot of the mountain. You can lend me a hand when the time comes.”
Xie Xu asked, “And the other one?”
Mei Man knew he was referring to Yu Guiya.
At the thought of him, her face darkened. Aside from anger, what she felt even more strongly was a stifling frustration with nowhere to vent.
She truly admired the man.
He schemed against her behind her back with someone else, yet put on the act of a good person, as though he were so guileless and warm-hearted.
But his warmth was only sunlight reflected in a mirror. It looked scorching and comforting, yet was cold through and through, without the slightest trace of heat.
Mei Man turned around and took a deep breath. “He’s treating me like a monkey to amuse himself. I’ll make sure he learns what it feels like to be tormented by the trust he’s been given.”
Xie Xu remembered how Yu Guiya had treated her in the Spirit Market.
He quickly pieced together the reason and asked, “Was it Fan Zilang who had the other man trick you into going to Jiyun Mountain today?”
“That’s only my guess. He’s still waiting for me near the teleportation array. I’m leaving first.” Mei Man turned and headed out.
On the way to Jiyun Mountain, a fine misting rain began to fall.
Mei Man opened her umbrella and held it over the two of them. “Luckily I brought an umbrella in advance. It always seems to rain around this time of year.”
“Junior Sister Mei, thank goodness you had the foresight. If I’d come alone, I’d probably have been drenched like a drowned rat. It’s still a long way, and your arm will grow tired holding the umbrella. Let me take it.” Yu Guiya took the umbrella from her hand. He was still smiling as cheerfully as usual, yet his eyes wandered, and he seemed distracted.
He thought of Fan Zilang.
Fan Zilang hadn’t come looking for him at all during this period. Then, yesterday, he had suddenly appeared at Yu Guiya’s door—
“Ask Mei Man to go to Jiyun Mountain with you tomorrow. Tell her that some immortal herbs fell out of the secret realm beneath the mountain and invite her to gather them with you,” Fan Zilang had ordered imperiously.
“Jiyun Mountain?” Yu Guiya had asked, puzzled. “That mountain isn’t under the jurisdiction of the Tianyan Immortal Abode. I’ve heard the yin energy there is extremely heavy. Why go there?”
He had only asked a question, but Fan Zilang reacted as though something had provoked him. His expression turned vicious.
“Why are you asking so many questions? I told you before—do whatever I tell you to do. Don’t ask about anything else!”
Yu Guiya had said, “Zilang, don’t get so worked up. I was only asking. My uncle sent a letter a few days ago asking how you’ve been. I told him that you were diligently cultivating and were about to break through another level. At a time like this, don’t let a moment of temper get in the way of more important matters.”
At that, Fan Zilang’s expression eased somewhat. He said coldly, “I know what I’m doing. I only want to teach her a small lesson. Don’t ask any more questions.”
“Zilang, don’t make light of someone’s—”
“Shut up!” Fan Zilang glared at him, his eyes filled with savagery. “I said I know what I’m doing. And as for you, if it weren’t for my family—if it weren’t for my father—would you have survived this long? Since my father told you to help me, you’d better listen. Don’t be an ungrateful ingrate.”
Yu Guiya’s thoughts returned to the present, and he couldn’t manage the carefree smile he usually wore.
As if on cue, Mei Man spoke. “Senior Brother Yu, I was thinking earlier—if you had Senior Brother Fan’s background, perhaps you would have gone much farther.”
Yu Guiya’s smile faded. “What do you mean by that, Junior Sister Mei? Did Zilang say something to you?”
He glanced sideways at Mei Man, but he couldn’t see her expression. All he could see were the two dark strands of hair beside her face and her perpetually composed profile.
“He didn’t say anything bad about you, Senior Brother. It’s just that…”
Her hesitation made the implication all the more delicate. Yu Guiya’s expression turned slightly grim, presumably wondering what Fan Zilang had said about him behind his back in order to vent his anger.
Mei Man suddenly raised her head and looked at him.
Yu Guiya quickly composed himself and forced a smile. “Zilang has always been blunt. The things he says can indeed be unpleasant at times.”
Mei Man said, “But this may sound a little presumptuous, Senior Brother. Ever since I learned certain things, I’ve actually come to feel very close to you. I’ve never felt that way toward any of our other fellow disciples. Sometimes, I even find myself thinking that perhaps you’re the only person I can trust.”
Yu Guiya’s steps faltered. It felt as though a hand had seized his heart and sent it pounding violently against his ribs, yet the beat remained heavy and breathless, unable to truly surge free.
“I’m sorry. I said something I shouldn’t have.” Mei Man tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and quickly lowered her head. “I was only speaking thoughtlessly. Just pretend I was rambling.”
“No, don’t think too much of it. I’m not bothered by what you said. And I’m very glad that you trust me.”
“Really?” Mei Man looked at him again. “Your complexion didn’t look very good, so I thought you were angry with me.”
She was so considerate. Her gaze was focused and gentle, flowing over him like mountain mist. Without realizing it, Yu Guiya relaxed. “It’s not because of you. It’s Zilang—”
“Senior Brother Fan? Did you and Senior Brother Fan have a quarrel?”
Yu Guiya came to his senses with a start, realizing that he had let something slip. He simply picked up where she had left off. “It’s nothing important. A couple of days ago, he came to ask whether I had let his secret out, and we exchanged a few heated words. He’s technically my younger cousin, and I’ve been indebted to the Fan family since I was young. After quarreling with him without clearing up the misunderstanding, I can’t help feeling that I’ve wronged Uncle Fan.”
“The secret…” Mei Man stopped. “Could it be… about him being half-demon?”
Yu Guiya stopped as well. “You know about that?”
Mei Man nodded, a hint of remorse appearing on her face. “I heard someone mention it and became curious. Senior Brother Yu, you know I’m only human—where would I ever have seen such a thing? So I asked Senior Brother Fan about it, but somehow I ended up angering him. I wanted to apologize too, but he left so quickly that day, he never gave me the chance. If that’s what happened, then haven’t I dragged you into this as well?”
The remorse in her expression made her seem as though she wished she could go and apologize to Fan Zilang right that instant. It reminded Yu Guiya of Fan Zilang’s reckless words and actions that day—how maliciously he had speculated about her, how deeply he had loathed Yu Guiya, looked down on him, and wished to trample him into the dirt.
Then Yu Guiya thought of how, all along the journey, Mei Man had been thinking of Fan Zilang at every turn, always putting others first, while Fan Zilang had been plotting in private how to punish her.
The more he thought about it, the more unfair it seemed. A fierce, inexplicable fury surged through him.
Yu Guiya suddenly stopped, seized her by the arm, and turned to walk back.
“Let’s go. The rain makes it unsuitable for gathering immortal herbs. We’ll come another day.”
But after taking only one step, he sensed a fluctuation of spiritual energy before him.
An invisible barrier of spiritual energy blocked their way.
He halted in surprise, and only then realized that they had already entered the territory of Jiyun Mountain.
At that moment, his hand suddenly closed on empty air.
Yu Guiya turned around.
Mei Man had pulled her arm free. Her expression remained the same, but perhaps because the umbrella had blocked out the light, her face seemed a little gloomy.
“Since we’re already here, we should still go take a look.” After a brief pause, she called softly, “Senior Brother Yu.”
